16 Arrested In Relation To Using Children For Alms Begging

The Anambra State Government has initiated an operation against syndicates that use children to beg for charity in Awka, the capital city.

The Ministry of Women and Social Welfare of Anambra State, in partnership with the Awka Capital Development Authority (ACTDA), searched the street and apprehended 16 children and adults.

Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, the media adviser to the Women and Social Welfare Commissioner, stated in a statement on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, that the flyover bridge at Aroma Junction has long been a den of juvenile beggars utilised by syndicates to beg for charity.

“In line with Governor Soludo’s mandate of taking school children out from the streets, the Women and social welfare Commissioner, Hon Ify Obinabo said the raid is not to make the children victims, but to use them to get at the syndicates that uses them for begging,” the statement read.

“Obinabo also reiterated the state government’s stand in maintaining the low number of out-of-school-children in the state.”

Mr Ossy Onuko, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ACTDA, said the operation is a welcome move in terms of getting children off the streets and assured of his agency’s cooperation in ensuring that the necessary steps are taken for a livable and thriving motherland.

The statement went on to say that picking up the street children was a difficult task because they instantly bolted as the enforcement team attempted to arrest them, with some of them putting up resistance.

They were, however, picked up, thrown into waiting trucks, and transported away. Obinabo stated that the operation will continue in all regions of Awka to ensure that the town was free of minors being used by syndicates to beg for food.

Following the operation, identification of the children and adults commenced, and it was determined that not all of those apprehended were Anambra indigenes, as some were from Ebonyi or Enugu.

The head of Women Affairs stated that contact tracing for the children’s parents would begin immediately.

Residents in the region claim that children are an eyesore because they run around during school hours begging for charity, but they have also become a nuisance because they often steal from adults.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli