The Lagos State Government has arrested 226 beggars as part of its ongoing environmental sanitation and enforcement exercise to maintain public order and improve the state’s environment.
The individuals were apprehended on Thursday by a joint team of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Task Force and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps during operations conducted across different parts of the state.
According to the government, the exercise formed part of sustained efforts to promote environmental sanity and enhance public safety.
Authorities said the arrested persons would undergo profiling and documentation before being repatriated to their respective states of origin.
A statement posted on the X handle of the Commissioner for the Environment, Tokunbo Wahab, read:
“In continuation of the ongoing daily clean-up and enforcement exercise across the state, a total of 226 beggars were apprehended earlier today by a joint team comprising the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Task Force and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps.
“The operation forms part of the state government’s sustained efforts to maintain environmental sanity, enhance public safety, and ensure a cleaner and more orderly Lagos.
“The apprehended individuals will undergo proper profiling and documentation before being repatriated to their respective states of origin in accordance with established procedures and relevant government policies.”
The government noted that the operation was one of several measures being implemented to address street begging and other activities considered detrimental to public order and environmental management.
Officials added that enforcement and clean-up exercises would continue across the state as part of efforts to improve the quality of life for residents and maintain Lagos’ status as a modern and organised megacity.