No fewer than 158 beggars were arrested in October by Kano State Hisbah Board for allegedly violating the law banning street begging in the state, an official has disclosed.
Malam Dahiru Muhammed of the board’s Anti-Begging Unit told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Friday that 58 of those arrested were children, while 100 were adults.
According to him, 117 of them are from Kano while 41 are from Kaduna , Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Plateau, Niger and Taraba States.
Muhammed said that the arrests were carried out around Bompai Road, Bank Road, Kabuga, Ibrahim Taiwo Road, State Road and Railway Station, all in Kano metropolis.
He said that the board released beggars that were first offenders and those suffering from mental disorder, while others from neighbouring states were taken back to their respective local government areas.
He advised the state government to assist beggars by empowering them so as to put a stop to street begging in the state. (NAN)