The Kwara State House of Assembly has advocated that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq take immediate steps to enforce the law banning street begging across the state, describing it as a menace.
This call formed part of the Assembly’s resolution after a motion titled “Need to Control the Trend of Street Begging in Kwara State and Mitigate the Associated Security Risk” was presented by Hon. Abdullahi Halidu (APC – Kaiama/Kemanji/Wajibe) during Wednesday’s plenary.
Speaker Yakubu Danladi, while addressing the matter, instructed the Secretary to the State Government to set up a committee tasked with assessing the scale, underlying causes, and security implications of street begging while also directing that the committee recommend sustainable solutions to address the problem.
During the debate, Hon. Danbaba highlighted how the growing presence of beggars on the streets threatens public safety and exposes the vulnerable population to risks such as human trafficking and exploitation.
Other lawmakers echoed his concerns and encouraged the governor to mandate the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development to form a grassroots task force.
This group would be charged with identifying street beggars, documenting incidents, and supporting their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
In a separate development, the House held the first reading of a bill seeking to revise the state’s existing law against secret cults and unlawful societies, with the proposed amendment expected to introduce stricter punishments for offenders.
