Lagos Assembly Holds Public Hearing on Bill to Prohibit Street Begging and Street Urchins

Lagos Assembly Holds Public Hearing on Bill to Prohibit Street Begging and Street Urchins

The public hearing, held on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium in Alausa, Ikeja, was chaired by the chairman of the House Committee on Youth, Sports and Social Development, Abiodun Orekoyah.

The bill, titled the Street Begging and Street Urchins (Prohibition, Prevention and Rehabilitation) Law of Lagos State 2026, was presented to legal practitioners, civil society organisations, and members of the public as part of the legislative process before it proceeds to further consideration by the House. Stakeholders at the hearing described the proposed legislation as long overdue, citing cases of beggars allegedly using knives and other dangerous weapons to obtain money from passersby.

The Lagos State Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Uchenna Akingbade, said the menace was serious along the Lekki-Epe corridor, calling for urgent action and recommending stiffer penalties for beggars found in possession of dangerous weapons.

A White Cap Chief, Architect Gbolahan Oki, who spoke on behalf of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, recalled the security challenges allegedly caused by area boys, particularly during the EndSARS period. Under the proposed law, activities such as loitering, sleeping, assembling, or erecting temporary structures for the purpose of begging would constitute offences.

People who engage in, procure, aid, or abet begging would also be liable to prosecution, and the bill specifically targets parents and guardians who send children onto the streets to solicit alms.

The proposed sanctions are structured in three stages: a first-time offender may receive a formal warning and be referred to a rehabilitation centre, a subsequent violation could attract a fine of up to N200,000, and more serious or repeated offences could lead to imprisonment of up to two years. However, the proposed enforcement powers have raised concerns among some participants, particularly over the possibility of arbitrary arrests and the treatment of vulnerable people during enforcement operations.

The bill attempts to address such concerns by expressly prohibiting enforcement officers from subjecting detainees to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, or unlawful detention, in line with the fundamental rights provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.

Beyond enforcement, the legislation places emphasis on rehabilitation, mandating the Ministry of Youth and Social Development to establish dedicated Rehabilitation and Welfare Centres where people removed from the streets would receive temporary accommodation, basic literacy education, psychological counselling, and vocational and life-skills training. Deputy Speaker of the House, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, said the views gathered from members of the public and stakeholders would be considered before the bill is finalised.

She said the feedback would help shape the legislation before it proceeds to third reading and, if passed by the Assembly, is presented to the Lagos State Governor for assent .

The bill represents a significant step in Lagos State's efforts to address the complex social and economic challenges that drive people, particularly children and vulnerable youths, to the streets.