The Monitoring team of the Lagos State Ministry of
Youth and Social Development has rescued three infants and apprehended two
Hausa women for using babies less than a month old for alms begging at Oyingbo
area of the State.
The two women apprehended by the team Hadiza Nosiru and Salamotu Salisu natives of Jigawa State were rescued on Tuesday during the routine rescue operation carried out by the Rescue Operation Team attached to the MInistry and were subsequently taken to Rehabilitation and Training Centre at Majidun, Ikorodu for shelter, investigation and possible legal action against them.
According to the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, preliminary investigation conducted further revealed that the two women apprehended were not the biological mothers of the babies and that the babies were given out to them by their parents who later get paid everyday on each baby.
One of the biological mothers of the infants paraded at Alausa Ikeja on Thursday alongside the three infants identified herself as Tawa Aregbesola from Ibadan and confessed that she had an agreement with one of the impersonating mothers to take her baby for alms begging between 5pm-7pm daily on the condition that between N1000 -N1500 would be given to her on return.
Aregbesola who says she has four other children said that she did not have an idea of where her baby is usually taken to for alms adding that she was oblivious of what the implication of the action could be.
Against the foregoing, the State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Pharmacist (Mrs.) Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf said that efforts would be intensified to get rid of street begging in all areas across the State.
The Commissioner specifically expressed disappointment at the heartless practice of using newborn babies to beg denying them of proper care and breastfeeding and exposing them to hazards and life on the street .She describing the situation of using infants for such unscrupulous purpose as very pathetic.
Akinbile-Yussuf further called on members of the public to join hands with the State Government in eradicating the menace by desisting from giving alms to beggars in the name of being generous, urging individuals willing to show generosity to do so through established orphanages and rehabilitation homes across the State.
The Ministry also observed that the incident has been a re-ocuring issue among the Hausas’ female beggars in the State and promised to pay deeper attention to the issue with the intention of taking necessary legal actions against the parties involved in order to serve as deterrent to others who may also be planning to perpetuate any form of child abuse and inhuman act against innocent children.
The two women apprehended by the team Hadiza Nosiru and Salamotu Salisu natives of Jigawa State were rescued on Tuesday during the routine rescue operation carried out by the Rescue Operation Team attached to the MInistry and were subsequently taken to Rehabilitation and Training Centre at Majidun, Ikorodu for shelter, investigation and possible legal action against them.
According to the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, preliminary investigation conducted further revealed that the two women apprehended were not the biological mothers of the babies and that the babies were given out to them by their parents who later get paid everyday on each baby.
One of the biological mothers of the infants paraded at Alausa Ikeja on Thursday alongside the three infants identified herself as Tawa Aregbesola from Ibadan and confessed that she had an agreement with one of the impersonating mothers to take her baby for alms begging between 5pm-7pm daily on the condition that between N1000 -N1500 would be given to her on return.
Aregbesola who says she has four other children said that she did not have an idea of where her baby is usually taken to for alms adding that she was oblivious of what the implication of the action could be.
Against the foregoing, the State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Pharmacist (Mrs.) Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf said that efforts would be intensified to get rid of street begging in all areas across the State.
The Commissioner specifically expressed disappointment at the heartless practice of using newborn babies to beg denying them of proper care and breastfeeding and exposing them to hazards and life on the street .She describing the situation of using infants for such unscrupulous purpose as very pathetic.
Akinbile-Yussuf further called on members of the public to join hands with the State Government in eradicating the menace by desisting from giving alms to beggars in the name of being generous, urging individuals willing to show generosity to do so through established orphanages and rehabilitation homes across the State.
The Ministry also observed that the incident has been a re-ocuring issue among the Hausas’ female beggars in the State and promised to pay deeper attention to the issue with the intention of taking necessary legal actions against the parties involved in order to serve as deterrent to others who may also be planning to perpetuate any form of child abuse and inhuman act against innocent children.
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Society