215 Beggars Netting in Lagos Blitz as KAI Corps Crack Down

Personnel of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), popularly known as the KAI Corps, have swept across the megacity in a coordinated series of intensive operations, rounding up 215 street beggars in a renewed push against street begging and the activities of street urchins.

The haul, confirmed on Saturday by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, comprises 152 males, 46 females and 17 young adults. The crackdown targeted major transport hubs, pedestrian bridges and busy commercial corridors where begging and associated public nuisance have been on the rise.

Wahab described the exercise as part of the state government’s sustained campaign to maintain public order, promote environmental sanitation and deliver safer, cleaner and more orderly public spaces for residents and visitors.

He stressed that street begging is frequently linked to security vulnerabilities and environmental degradation, especially in high-traffic zones, and reiterated that public bridges and walkways are meant for safe pedestrian movement—not for squatting or organised begging networks.

The operation continues Lagos State’s long-running zero-tolerance stance on street begging, which authorities regard as both an environmental nuisance and a risk to public safety. Similar large-scale sweeps in recent months have netted hundreds of individuals—most notably 396 in July and 226 in June—who were subsequently profiled, offered assistance where needed and prepared for repatriation to their states of origin in line with established procedures.

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Officials have repeatedly warned that giving money to street beggars, including by celebrities and influencers, can encourage the practice and undermine enforcement efforts. The latest raids form part of ongoing daily clean-up and enforcement drives aimed at reclaiming public spaces and reducing associated risks to road users and pedestrians.

Wahab and the Lagos State Government have signalled that such operations will continue across the metropolis as authorities work to keep Lagos clean, safe and orderly.