12th May, 2011
The Lagos State Government has sent back 3,029 beggars to their various states in the country and 15 foreign beggars to their country in a bid to rid the state of the nuisance they pose.
The state has also begun sending children from Lagos abroad for adoption, with 152 children already adopted by foreign countries.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Social Development, Dr. Dolapo Badru disclosed this today at a news conference at the Babauda Kaltho Press Centre, Secretariat, Alausa in Ikeja, Lagos , South West Nigeria.
“At least, 3,044 persons were either transferred to other states or country, released to their relations for re-integration between January 2010 to date,†he said.
The statistics showed that 196 beggars were deported to Sokoto State; 83 to Oyo State; 75 to Kano State; 67 to Osun State while 21 were deported to Ekiti State and seven to Ondo State.
Also, 12 beggars were deported to Niger Republic ; two to Chad Republic and one to Cote d’voire while 2,580 others were handed over to their relations for integration.
Badru said the state government in its bid to rid the state of beggars, combed the five divisions of the state to pick up the beggars and destitute.
According to him, beggars and destitute constitute a social nuisance towards the development of Lagos as a mega city, saying that in the last one year, 3,105 beggars, destitute and lunatics were rescued and taken to rehabilitation and training centres at Owutu, Ikorodu.
“This is where the state government has made provisions for facilities to help in turning the lives of the destitute and beggars around while the mentally unstable are given medical attention.
“Out of this number, 38 able-bodied persons suspected to be criminals were handed over to the task force for prosecution. Rescue of beggars from the streets of Lagos is a continuous exercise and the office liaises with other security agencies to rid Lagos streets of beggars, destitute and lunatics,†he said.
The special adviser appealed to Lagosians to desist from giving beggars and destitute on the streets alms as they constituted a menace and nuisance to the society.
He enjoined members of the public who might wish to help the less privileged in the society to donate their widow’s mite to any church, mosque, registered orphanage, motherless babies home or any social welfare institution.
In the area of adoption and fostering, Badru disclosed that to date, various applications were received from prospective adopters, locally and internationally who were screened in order to determine their suitability for adopting children while 177 letters of approval were granted.
He disclosed that 126 children were adopted by members of the public and 11 released for fostering, adding that 174 children had their adoptions legalised through the Juvenile Court while additional 161 babies were rescued and referred to various government homes and private orphanages.
The special adviser stated that his office was currently working on new guidelines for adoption and fostering, saying that the office currently related with some countries in respect of international adoption.
The countries are Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, France, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, United States of America, United Kingdom, Germany and Canada .
“International adoption gives succour to children with medical challenges,†he said, adding that screening was conducted for international adopters who wanted to adopt children from Lagos .
He said 152 children had been adopted so far by 10 countries such as Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark and Belgium .
The breakdown shows that 20 children were adopted by Italy; 41 by The Netherlands; 15 by Spain; 12 by Switzerland; 25 by Denmark; eight by Belgium; 16 by the United States; eight by the United Kingdom; two by Germany and five by Canada.
—Kazeem Ugbodaga