Lagos Arrests 45 Beggars, Including Nine Children, in Renewed Cleanup Drive

1The Lagos State Government on Wednesday arrested 45 beggars, including nine children, during a coordinated enforcement operation across Oshodi, Agege, and CMS as part of its ongoing campaign to rid the state of street begging and other environmental nuisances. According to the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, 22 beggars comprising adults and teenagers were apprehended in Oshodi and Agege, while 14 adults and nine children were arrested in CMS, bringing the total number of arrests to 45. The government said the operation forms part of a broader effort to maintain public order, improve environmental sanitation, and address the growing presence of street beggars in major commercial areas of the state. Authorities also disclosed that similar enforcement exercises are ongoing in other locations, including the Lekki and Ajah corridors, warning that individuals engaged in street begging and related activities would continue to face arrest as the state intensifies its cleanup and urban management initiatives.