Street Beggars Arrested in Kwara Found With Dollar, Large Sums of Cash

A coordinated raid on street beggars in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, has uncovered surprising finds, including a United States dollar bill and large sums of Nigerian currency, calling into question the true nature of street begging in the city.

The operation, which was carried out over the weekend by officials of the Kwara State Ministry of Social Welfare and Development and operatives of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), led to the arrest of about 40 individuals.

During a subsequent search and profiling of the arrested beggars, one identified as Musa Mahmud from Kano State was found in possession of a US Dollar note and over N18,000 in cash. Another, Mallam Aliyu Buhari, also claimed to be from Kano and was caught with more than N17,000.

In total, approximately N100,000 in cash was recovered from the group during the exercise. The raid also revealed a security risk, with one beggar discovered to be carrying a sharp knife, which he claimed was used for slicing onions.

The operation, which included the Governor’s Special Assistant on Drug Abuse Prevention and Control, Mikail Aileru, targeted major hubs including Tipper Garage, Tanke, Offa Garage, and the Geri Alimi Roundabout.

Commissioner for Social Welfare and Development, Dr. Mariam Imam, noted that the strategy is yielding results, evidenced by a drastic reduction from the 94 beggars arrested in the previous raid.

“We are adjusting our strategy as the beggars are also changing their tactics and locations to evade arrest,” she said, reiterating the state’s ban on street begging. She urged the public to channel alms through religious organizations and orphanages instead.

Meanwhile, punitive measures await those arrested. Assistant Controller of Prisons Adebayo Okunola stated that the beggars would be made to clean the streets to teach them “dignity in labour.”

While some beggars pleaded with the government for leniency, citing a lack of livelihood, the discovery of significant cash and foreign currency has strengthened the government’s resolve to sanitize the city of criminal elements disguising as beggars.