SUBAIR MOHAMMED, EBOSELUME OLUTOLA and BOLA BADMUS write on the ramifications of a novel alms collection strategy by beggars on Lagos streets.
IN spite of its prohibition by the Lagos State government, alms begging is attaining an alarming proportion as bowl-bearing adults and children of school age on a daily basis take positions at strategic locations and streets in the state seeking offerings from sympathetic residents.
For beggars in the state of over 22 million people, pleading for alms is a big business that is deserving of all energy and time.
The beggars have now dominated almost all major roads in the state to the point that they have now established colonies in Ebute-Metta, east of Lagos Mainland, Ikotun Roundabout, Iyana-Ipaja, Agege and other major routes as well as under popular bridges across the state.
They are fast becoming a menace and a source of insecurity to residents. They accost people sometimes subtly and at other times in an aggressive manner. The creative ones among them have introduced elements of modern-day banking into their alms-seeking methodology.
Aside from opening bank accounts which they display openly for sympathetic residents to transfer cash, as a way of circumventing the possible excuse of ‘no cash’, Saturday Tribune discovered that many beggars in the state have also incorporated QR code technology to ease their trade, thereby ensuring options for those who might want to give but can’t transfer cash through their accounts and without physical cash at the time of their encounter with the beggars.
This, according to some of the beggars who spoke with Saturday Tribune, makes alms-begging task quicker and hassle-free, especially in congested Lagos traffic.
New regulation coming –Speaker Obasa
Meanwhile, to curb the growing number of beggars wandering the streets on a daily basis, the state House of Assembly said in July that it was considering making a law to regulate their activities in the state.
The Speaker of the House, Honourable Mudashiru Obasa, disclosed that the increasing number of beggars in state necessitated the planned regulation.
“We are looking at how we can manage such situations to stop beggars from parading the streets of Lagos begging for alms. Following such legislation, anyone caught begging on the streets or aiding such, particularly among children, would also be sanctioned according to the law,” Obasa said.
But as residents patiently await the passage of the bill into law, beggars in the state are already trying to be a step ahead by devising a more sophisticated approach to their trade which, according to Malami Umar, a 26-year-old beggar in the Berger area, is a more humane and convenient way of pleading for alms, especially in traffic.
Viral seven-year-old beggar’s video
A seven-year-old beggar who identified himself as Samir in Jakande Estate, Ajah, recently went viral on social media. He was asking for alms from a passenger in the back seat of a car that was stuck in traffic and presenting a bank account when the would-be benefactor said he had no cash to give.
The bubbly boy, who held the young man almost spellbound with his begging artistry, asked that he be given whatever was available and when cash was not forthcoming, he told the fellow in the car that he had account details which he flashed from his pocket within seconds on demand. When the would-be benefactor observed that the account wasn’t bearing his name, the youngster explained that the owner of the account (a female) was elsewhere and would be the one to confirm when alert was received on it.
The boy’s dexterity amused the passenger so much that he promised to make a cash transfer to the account. At this point, the traffic began to ease and the video ended without any confirmation that the transfer was made.
It was observed that the paper containing the banking details was laminated probably to prevent damage through contact with water or if the boy has to be in the rain.
In a chat with Saturday Tribune, a physically challenged beggar, Malami Umar, disclosed that he decided to open a savings account for alms collection because of his condition.
Umar claimed that in the past, he had missed many opportunities for alms from motorists due to his inability to make it to their cars before they zoomed off.
The 26-year-old, who resides in Mowe in Ogun State but plies his trade in Berger, Lagos State, said he had been begging for alms since he relocated from Kebbi State almost a decade ago.
For him, the dearth of cash isn’t enough reason for not gifting him money as he readily has other means available for his benefactors to explore. When a Saturday Tribune’s correspondent approached him, he exclaimed, “Oga, if I no get cash, ba wahala, I get am for account.”
Our correspondent struck a deal and made a bank transfer of N500 to the bank account presented by Umar and he received an alert instantly.
Umar explained the reason why he decided to introduce bank transaction: “I am from Kebbi State. I left my state for Lagos to seek beg alms for a living. Considering my condition, it has not been easy. I am crippled, therefore, I don’t have the grace to be running after cars and people for alms. So, instead of wallowing in self-pity and eventually dying of hunger, I thought of introducing virtual money transfer and opening a bank account to aid my trade.
“I told those who genuinely want to give me alms that having no cash isn’t an issue because I have an active bank account and QR code which people could scan or send their donations to. I opened the bank account for the sole purpose of getting alms. I was motivated by people, especially youths, asking for bank account details for transactions. So, I felt I am no less human and that if I could have one, it would be an advantage whenever the situation calls for it.
“On several occasions, I have complained to my friend, Jubril, about the current situation of things, especially since people are unwilling to spare change (lower currency notes) these days. On a particular day, I met some young men. After reaching out to them, as I normally do, they said they didn’t have spare change but were willing to give me some money. One of them proceeded to ask if I had a bank account. I said no. After much begging and convincing, they agreed to make a withdrawal through a Point of Sale (POS) for me. It was there and then that I resolved to open a bank account.
My friend, Jubril, assisted me to open a bank account because, according to him, that particular bank is fast, flexible, economical and easy to use. Apart from the convenience, the bank offers me and those who are willing to help, it also saves me from having to hang around with bowls, especially on occasions when petty thieves storm the market.”
‘Lagos residents are impatient’
However, Kabir Mohammed opposed Umar’s use of bank account for alms begging. Mohammed, a 28-year-old beggar, saw no need for a bank account as he wasn’t literate enough to operate one.
He told Saturday Tribune that not many individuals in Lagos have the patience to make transfers as they are always in a rush for one thing or the other.
He said: “I don’t have an account for alms begging. I know some who do. I think it is a frivolous venture. Most of the people I meet on this pedestrian bridge are always in a hurry. They just want to drop their change (petty cash) and go. I can’t picture them waiting for two to three minutes to make a money transfer to me. Besides, I am not literate or tech-savvy enough to run an account.”
‘Businessmen, not beggars’
The chairman of the Tailors Association in Lagos Mainland, Sulaiman Ojo, described it as a waste of time and resources, giving his scarce resources to a bunch of businessmen who parade themselves as beggars on the streets of Lagos.
According to him, real beggars won’t have the time to be opening bank accounts or strapping phone QR code on their necks for cash transfer.
He said: “People may see them as beggars, but I see them as professionals in business. We live in Lagos. We know and see those that are truly suffering. You need not be told. Poverty is written all over their faces. I have a neighbour that despite being a trader, she has no bank account. So, why would a beggar open an account for the sake of begging? It doesn’t add up.
“Do you know that these people we see as beggars are actually working for a master who is seated somewhere and expecting them to deliver to him at the end of the day? Even Islam forbids alms begging. They go about begging daily on the street, an act which negates the teachings of Islam. This is one reason I don’t give them my money. I know who to give when the need arises.”
This view was shared by some residents who also commented on the new phenomenon on social media. A commenter claimed that the beggar who received an alert from Saturday Tribune correspondent and his kind were likely faking their conditions and resorting to begging to earn easy money. He wrote, “These people are not beggars, they are professionals doing business. Real beggars are suffering.”
‘I beg in daytime, work as maiguard at night’
Aminu Saidu is a popular face in the Apapa axis of Lagos Mainland Local Government Area. According to him, he has been begging for alms for over 30 years in Lagos while also working as a night security guard at a private residence in the area.
He told Saturday Tribune his story: “I came from Kaduna State to Lagos over 30 years ago. I have a wife and children in Kaduna while I work in Lagos. People no longer give alms like before. The economy is affecting us, too. So, when money is no longer coming as before, I decided to look for a job while I beg for alms in the morning.
“I am on a permanent night shift as a security guard in a private residence. When I was employed, I thought of opening an account for my salary and it was eventually useful for alms begging. When I close, I head for the street to beg for alms and that is how I have been surviving in Lagos and catering for my wife and children back home.”
We’ll be decisive –Information commissioner
The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, raised a lot of concerns over the presence of beggars all over the state. Omotoso disclosed to Saturday Tribune that the state government would be decisive with the illegality.
He explained: “Like we have said, it (street begging) is illegal; the law is against it. And the Lagos State government is trying as much as possible to discourage it. We have had to move these people off the streets. We have had to go to court to prosecute people, people who are using these people not as a shield now, but as a money-making machine. They send them out onto the street and when they come back in the evening, they take money from them and give them returns. So, the state government is trying to stop this kind of thing, especially with the situation of security all over the land, outside Lagos. Lagos is the most secure state in Nigeria. We want to keep it so.
“Many motorists and pedestrians have complained about people harassing them on the road. They have complained about having their car windows knocked at traffic light intersections. They have complained about being harassed by people who are strangers who have never been in their communities before. So, street begging is an illegal thing and the Lagos State government is doing everything to stop it.
“Government is trying to provide for everybody, Lagos State has about 18 vocational centers. When you go into these vocational centres, it is free of charge. You go and learn a trade. And when you are done, we don’t leave you just like that, we give you everything you need to go and start your own trade. So, the government has planned everything for people not to be professional beggars. Those who are begging are causing security problem for the government and the government will act and be decisive about these people.
“Of course, we have to enforce the law against them; we won’t allow them to continue this way because Lagos residents are complaining. People say when they stop at traffic light intersections, these people knock on their doors. You don’t even know a genuine beggar from who is not. It is a challenging situation.” (Nigerian Tribune)
