Beggars have dared the Niger State Government less than one week after a law banning street begging was announced by the state government, saying: “We are ready to protest if anyone of us is arrested.”
The beggars, who are mainly groups of Almajiris, were seen at strategic places begging for alms in Suleja, Minna, Kotangora and other major towns of the state on Monday.
The State Government had Thursday last week reintroduced the ban on street begging and urchins, which it said was constituting nuisance across the state, citing insecurity is its main reason.
The ban on street begging, which was widely condemned by most of the Almajiris, was announced by the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Muhammad Sani Idris, during a post-State Executive Council briefing in Government House, Minna.
The beggars vowed to protest against any arrest on them by the government or any security agencies, saying: “We are not thieves but struggling for survival.”
The Commissioner noted that credible reports from security agencies made it necessary for government to begin the vigorous enforcement of law on street begging.
The decision, which was approved during the weekly SEC meeting, according Idris, took effect from March 4, 2020.
The Eagle Online gathered that the law has not been strong enough to stop street begging as most of them claimed they are not aware of any law stopping them.
According to one of the beggars (Almajiri), an indigene of Katsina State, Rilwanu Mohammed: “Our Mallam usually sends us out to beg after our Quranic lesson in the morning and nobody told us that there is a law stopping us.
“Begging is our only means of survival because any money we get must be submitted to our Mallam in the evening when we retire back home.
“Walahi, if they arrest us, we will protest and fight back.
“Begging is part of it.
“If we don’t beg to survive, do they (government) want us to steal?
“At least, begging is better than stealing and we are not begging the government, we are begging people who have compassion on us.”
The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Nasara Danmallam, had said the ban is driven by security imperatives, adding: “If any Almajiri leaves their school premise and goes begging, he will be arrested.”
Danmallam added that the essence of the law is aimed at bringing to the barest minimum the menace of street begging, especially by the underaged, who are supposed to be in school, but begging on the streets and some strategic areas like filling stations, restaurants, traffic lights, mosques and banks.
A commuter, Alhaji Haruna Ibrahim, told the Our Correspondent that the parents of the beggars (almajiris) are supposed to provide for their upkeep, while in the Almajiri school, but because they failed in doing so, their wards are left with no option than to invade the streets begging for survival.
An Islamic scholar, who did not want his name mentioned, blamed parents for sending their wards from their states to far away states, adding: “There is Almajiri school in all states; they (parents) should be arrested for child abuse because these children are too young.”
Another beggar, a 15-year-old, popularly called Abacha, told our Correspondent: “The government cannot stop us because this is part of the North and Almajiri system is acceptable here.
“Moving around and seeking for alms is part of us; not everyone can go to Tsangaya schools.”
The government had few days ago disclosed that over 80 per cent of beggars in the state are not Nigerlites, but foreigners from other states and countries.
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