As part of measures to beef up security in Ilorin, the state capital, the Kwara State Government has commenced the arrest, prosecution and conviction of beggars and street urchins in Ilorin metropolis through a Mobile Court situated at the Ministry of Social Development Headquarters, Ilorin.
According to the statement by Janet Bogunjoko, the Press Secretary to the Ministry, the Commissioner for Social Development, Hajia Mariam Nnafatima Imam, PhD, who recently led the Ministry’s enforcement team in evacuating the beggars and street urchins across the streets such as Post-Office, Taiwo Road, Asa-Dam Road, Gerin-Alimi and Tanke, in Ilorin metropolis, disclosed that those arrested included children, women and men.
Hajia Imam confirmed that they were caught indulging in begging at different locations in Ilorin metropolis where they were prohibited, adding that the beggars and street urchins were charged to Mobile Court at the Ministry where a Senior Magistrate, Jumoke Bello, delivered judgement and convicted them accordingly.
She reiterated that the evacuation of the beggars and street urchins became necessary because of their proliferation and threat to security in the state capital, explaining that the state government had to go tough and applied decisive punishment on them owing to their persistent proliferation in spite of various sensitisation campaigns and warnings undertaken by the state government through various platforms of communication.
Hajia Imam stressed that the evacuation would be a continuous exercise and emphasised that the state government will not hesitate to wield its long sticks on offenders, advising them to heed government’s warning.
In her ruling, the Presiding Magistrate, Jumoke Bello, sentenced the offenders in line with the provisions of the Kwara State Social Development Laws and they were given community service punishment.
