Lagos’ War on Beggars: 911 arrested, but streets keep calling

By Olasunkanmi Akoni
At Ikeja Under-Bridge, opposite the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, a young mother clutches a sleeping toddler to her chest and stretches a plastic bowl towards motorists trapped in traffic. A few metres away, an elderly man chants prayers for loose change. Children dart between moving vehicles, dodging horns and exhaust fumes in a desperate search for alms.
Read Also: How we paid millions for release of NYSC members — Parents; We’re not aware – Imo govt
The scene is repeated thousands of times across Lagos. From Oshodi and Agege to CMS, Oyingbo, Pen Cinema and the Lekki-Epe corridor, begging has become woven into the daily life of Africa’s largest megacity. Bu...