The Lagos State House of Assembly is considering a bill seeking to prohibit street begging and activities associated with street urchins, with offenders facing fines of up to N200,000 and imprisonment of up to two years.
The proposed legislation, titled the Street Begging and Street Urchins (Prohibition, Prevention and Rehabilitation) Law of Lagos State 2026, was presented to legal practitioners, civil society organizations and members of the public during a public hearing on Tuesday at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja.
The hearing was chaired by the Chairman of the House Committee on Youth, Sports and Social Development, Abiodun Orekoya, as part of the legislative process before the bill proceeds to further consideration by the Assembly.
The bill seeks to prohibit street begging and related activities in public places, including motor parks, traffic intersections, pedestrian bridges and open markets.
Orekoya said the proposed law was aimed at promoting public order, safety and environmental sanitation while strengthening child protection measures.
Under the bill, loitering, sleeping, assembling or erecting temporary structures for begging would constitute offences. Persons who engage in, procure, aid or abet begging could also face prosecution.
The legislation specifically targets parents and guardians who send children to the streets to solicit alms, with such actions potentially attracting prosecution under the proposed law and existing child-rights legislation.
The proposed sanctions are structured in stages.
A first-time offender may receive a formal warning and be referred to a state-run rehabilitation centre.
A subsequent offence could attract a fine of up to N200,000, a non-custodial sentence of not more than three months, or both.
For serious or repeated offences, the bill proposes imprisonment of up to two years upon conviction by a Lagos State High Court or Magistrate Court.
The bill also proposes broad enforcement powers for the Environmental Sanitation Corps Agency, including warrantless arrest of suspected offenders and seizure of property allegedly connected to an offence.
Officers would be required to profile arrested persons before transferring them to the Nigeria Police Force or appropriate local neighbourhood security units.
However, some participants at the hearing expressed concerns over the proposed enforcement powers, particularly the possibility of arbitrary arrests and the treatment of vulnerable persons during enforcement operations.
The bill prohibits enforcement officers from subjecting detainees to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, or unlawful detention, in line with fundamental rights guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution.
Beyond enforcement, the proposed legislation places emphasis on rehabilitation and reintegration.
It mandates the Ministry of Youth and Social Development to establish dedicated Rehabilitation and Welfare Centres where people removed from the streets would receive temporary accommodation, basic literacy education, psychological counselling, vocational training, and life-skills development.
The objective, according to the proposal, is to equip beneficiaries with the skills and support necessary for eventual reintegration into society rather than merely removing them from public spaces.
Human rights advocates and legal scholars at the hearing urged the Assembly to exercise caution, particularly over warrantless arrests and the broad enforcement powers contained in the bill.
They also questioned how the proposed law would balance regulation of public spaces with the rights and dignity of vulnerable people.
The Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, said contributions from members of the public and stakeholders would be considered before the bill is finalized.
She said the feedback would help shape the legislation before it proceeds to third reading and, if passed, is forwarded to the Lagos State Governor for assent.
(Guardian)
