How Tokunbo Wahab replied Tacha over arrested child beggars

Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has defended the state government’s ongoing crackdown on street begging following criticism from reality TV star Tacha.

The exchange began on Wednesday, January 7, after Wahab shared a video showing the arrest of a child beggar by officials of the Lagos State environmental task force. The commissioner said the operation was part of continuous enforcement efforts along the Lekki–Ajah Expressway and other parts of the state to restore order and ensure public safety.

The video, which showed the child in tears after being apprehended, sparked emotional reactions online.

Reacting to the footage, Tacha questioned the government’s approach, arguing that arresting child beggars does not address the root cause of poverty. She maintained that the focus should be on why children are forced onto the streets in the first place.

According to her, the presence of children begging along major highways is a failure of governance, adding that arrests only instil fear in already vulnerable people.

“You don’t solve poverty with force. You don’t punish people for surviving,” she wrote, calling on the government to establish proper vocational centres with boarding facilities where affected children could learn skills such as shoemaking, fashion, photography and videography.

In response, Wahab stressed that enforcement must be guided by law, data and long-term responsibility, not emotions.

“Leaving children to dodge speeding vehicles in the name of compassion is not empathy; it is neglect,” the commissioner stated.

He further explained that Lagos State provides tuition-free public education, including free WAEC registration, alongside technical colleges and vocational centres that offer training in various trades.

Wahab also disclosed that apprehended children are usually profiled, with some returned to their parents—many of whom live outside Lagos—while others who show interest in learning skills are enrolled free of charge through the Ministry of Youth and Social Development.

However, he emphasised that “the role of government is not to parent recalcitrant children.”

The commissioner concluded by inviting Tacha and other concerned citizens to partner with the state government in addressing the issue, urging collaboration beyond social media advocacy.