Anambra Govt raids over 40,000 beggars, vows to stop child begging

By Raymond Ozoji,  Awka

The Anambra State Government has raided over 40,000 beggars and destitutes across the state, vowing to stop child begging and arrest adults who use children to make money.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children and Social Welfare, Hon. Ify Obinabo, said the raid will continue nonstop as investigations reveal that some families have subjected their children to money-making machines through begging for alms.

Obinabo expressed concern that children who are supposed to be in school are being deprived of free education and subjected to alms-begging by their parents and guardians. She said adults use children to beg for money during school hours, and sometimes the children engage in stealing to make money for the adults.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA), Hon. Ossy Onuko, corroborated Obinabo’s statement, saying that the government has been on persistent raid under the flyover bridge at Aroma junction but the menace kept recurring.

The government has warned that the children raided will not be released until their parents or adults who sent them to beg for money are fished out and dealt with decisively.

The government says it is determined to uncover all begging syndicates in the state and uproot them from the society.