Lagos sweeps up 396 beggars in sanitation crackdown

The Lagos State Government says it has detained 396 people engaged in street begging during a coordinated enforcement exercise designed to improve environmental cleanliness, public safety and order across the state.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, announced the development in a statement shared on his official X account on Tuesday.

According to the commissioner, operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps carried out the operation as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen sanitation standards and tackle unlawful activities in different parts of the state.

Wahab said those apprehended would first undergo profiling before any necessary support is provided.

He added that after the process, they would be transferred to the relevant authorities for a safe return to their respective states.

The commissioner said the exercise reflected the government’s determination to uphold public order, safeguard the environment and make communities safer.

He also reaffirmed the state’s commitment to continuing similar enforcement operations to keep Lagos clean and improve the quality of life for residents.