Lagos arrests 226 beggars in fresh clampdown

The Lagos State Government has intensified its crackdown on street begging and related public nuisances, with 226 beggars apprehended during a fresh enforcement exercise carried out across the state.

The state Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this in a post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday.

According to Wahab, the arrests were made during a joint operation involving the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Task Force and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps.

“In continuation of the ongoing daily clean-up and enforcement exercise across the State, a total of 226 beggars were apprehended earlier today by a joint team comprising the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Task Force and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps,” the commissioner stated.

He said the operation was part of the state government’s sustained efforts to improve public safety and maintain a cleaner and more orderly environment.

“The operation forms part of the state government’s sustained efforts to maintain environmental sanity, enhance public safety, and ensure a cleaner and more orderly Lagos,” Wahab added.

The commissioner further disclosed that those arrested would undergo profiling and documentation before being returned to their respective states of origin in line with established procedures.

“The apprehended individuals will undergo proper profiling and documentation before being repatriated to their respective states of origin in accordance with established procedures and relevant government policies,” he said.

The latest operation is the newest in a series of enforcement exercises targeting street begging across Lagos.

PUNCH Metro had previously reported on June 4, 2026, that more than 140 people were arrested during similar enforcement operations conducted in parts of the state, including Oshodi, Agege and CMS. At the time, the Lagos State Government said the exercise formed part of ongoing efforts to rid public spaces of street begging and other environmental infractions.

It also reported that state officials raised concerns about the occupation of pedestrian bridges and other public infrastructure by beggars and vagrants, warning that such activities could pose security and safety risks to residents.

Speaking on the earlier operation, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Kunle Adeshina, described the exercise as routine and aimed at maintaining public order.

“I’ll call it routine. It is part of our efforts to enforce discipline and maintain order in the state,” Adeshina said.

Lagos authorities have repeatedly urged residents to channel charitable donations through religious bodies and registered humanitarian organisations rather than giving alms directly on the streets.

The state government has maintained that the ongoing operations are intended to improve environmental sanitation, enhance public safety and prevent the misuse of public infrastructure. Officials say those arrested are usually profiled and documented, with vulnerable persons referred to appropriate welfare institutions, while adult offenders may be repatriated to their states of origin in line with existing government procedures. (Punch)