Street begger and area pikin wey dey roam road for Lagos fit soon enter serious wahala as Lagos State House of Assembly dey consider one new law wey go make begging for road become offence.
If di bill pass, anybody wey dem catch dey beg for road fit pay fine reach ₦200,000 or spend up to two years for prison, depending on how serious di case be.
According to di lawmakers, di law na to stop street begging and area pikin activity for places like motor park, junction, bridge and market. Dem tok say di aim na to improve order, security and cleanliness for Lagos, and at di same time protect children from life for street.
Di proposed law tok say anybody wey dey loiter, sleep, gather or build temporary shed just to beg for road don commit offence. Anybody wey encourage, support or send pesin go beg too fit face prosecution.
Di bill still put eye for parents and guardians wey dey send dia pikin go road go beg. If dem catch such people, dem fit face case under di new law and existing law wey dey protect children.
Under di arrangement, first-time offender fit receive warning and dem fit carry am go rehabilitation centre. If di pesin repeat di offence, di punishment fit be fine of up to ₦200,000, community service or both.
For pesin wey continue di act or commit serious offence, court fit jail am for up to two years if dem find am guilty.
Di bill still give environmental sanitation officers power to arrest suspects without warrant and seize property wey connect to di offence. After arrest, dem go profile di suspect before handing am over to police or neighbourhood security officers.
Some people wey attend di public hearing no too happy with dis part of di bill. Dem fear say di power fit make officers begin arrest people anyhow and harass vulnerable citizens.
Because of dat concern, di bill tok clearly say officers no get right to torture, maltreat or detain anybody unlawfully during enforcement.
Apart from punishment, di law still put plenty focus on rehabilitation. Ministry of Youth and Social Development go establish welfare and rehabilitation centres where dem go give people wey dem remove from street temporary accommodation, basic education, counselling and skill acquisition training.
According to di lawmakers, di goal no be just to comot people from road, but to help dem learn work and return back into society with better life.
Human rights activists and legal experts wey attend di hearing advise lawmakers make dem tread carefully, especially concerning arrest without warrant and protection of human dignity.
Deputy Speaker of di House, Mojisola Meranda, tok say all opinions and suggestions wey stakeholders bring go help shape di final version of di bill before lawmakers decide whether to pass am into law.
