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Ninety-four (94) street beggars within Ilorin metropolis have been evacuated for proper profiling, prosecution and repatriation by the Kwara State Government.
During the exercise, the State Commissioner for Social Welfare and Development, Dr Mariam Nnafatima Imam explained that those arrested for repatriation included 43 females and 51 males.
Dr Mariam Imam said that the Ministry had done two repatriation exercises of street beggars before now, adding that street begging is not allowed in the State.
She thanked Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his effort to make sure that the State is free of street begging, hawking and other social menace.
The Commissioner noted that the State Government was always in touch with the State Governments of the street beggars before their repatriation.
The Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Drug Abuse, Prevention and Control, Mr Haliru Mikail said that most of the people that portray themselves as beggars peddle drugs.
He said the exercise of clamping down on street begging will be continuous in order to make the society safe.
The Head of Non-Custodian Unit, Nigeria Correctional Service, Kwara State Command, Mr Adebayo Okunola explained that the exercise is to clean the State of social menace while those arrested and tried by the appropriate court would be punished in line with the Correctional Act 2019.
Mr Okunola noted that the Correctional Service would ensure those arrested and tried by appropriate court were sentenced to non custodian unit.
The exercise was carried out in selected areas in Ilorin metropolis which included Geri Alimi, Tanke Junction, Offa Garage, Tipper Garage and Zango, among others.
By Abdullah Ahmed
