The Special Offences Court in Alausa area of Lagos, southwest Nigeria, has sentenced eight beggars to one month imprisonment for begging on the streets of the state.
The beggars were arrested by officials of the Office of Youth and Social Development, Lagos State at different spots in the Lagos metropolis and charged to court.
Governor Babatunde Fashola had warned that his administration would declare total war on beggars, saying that they either leave the state or be prepared to engage in something that would contribute meaningfully to the state’s revenue earnings.
In the case between the Attorney-General of Lagos State versus the beggars, they were slammed with a three-count charge of conducting themselves in a disorderly manner without visible means of livelihood and committed an offence punishable under the criminal law of Lagos State.
They were also charged with conducting themselves in manner likely to cause breach of peace and thus committed an offence punishable under the same criminal law of Lagos State 2011.
The last count declared that the beggars received, demanded for dues and collected unauthorized levy from persons and committed an offence punishable under section two of the Illegal Collection of Dues in Public Place (prohibition) Law of Lagos State 2003.
The presiding magistrate sentenced them to one month imprisonment or a fine of N5,000 each after the beggars pleaded guilty to the count charges.
The name of the convicted beggars are: Aliyu Ikure, 50; Muhammed Bello, 60; Abubakar Adamu, 60; Yusuf Ibrahim, 55; Isiaka Husseni, 55; Abubakar Usman, 65; Abubakar Garuba, 50 and Adamu Taofida, 65; all from the Northern part of the country where poverty is highly endemic.
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