Lagos Assembly moves to outlaw Street begging

The law, when passed, will also penalize anyone found encouraging residents to become professional street beggars.

The Lagos State House of Assembly says it will introduce a law that will criminalize street begging and prevent residents and visitors from giving alms to professional beggars across the state.

The law, when passed, will also penalize anyone discovered encouraging residents to become professional street beggars, saying, through this, it will become an offense to give beggars alms.

At a plenary on Tuesday presided by the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, the Lawmakers  described street begging as a menace that was already taking over the state.

The speaker who corroborated the stand of  his colleagues noted that criminal elements have taken over the streets, disguising as beggars, to attack Lagosians.

Reacting to the motion moved by Abiodun Orekoya and some of his colleagues, Obasa noted how previous administrations in the state made efforts to curb street begging, but that the challenge had not abated. 

According to the Speaker, “When we address the source, then we can curb it. When you go on the …