Twins turn goldmine for Lagos beggars – • Babies ‘hired’ at N1,000-a-day

However, recently, it is getting difficult by the day to truly know those who actually need help. Investigations into activities of beggars in Lagos metropolis revealed that some smart residents of Lagos have turned begging into a lucrative business, bringing people from other parts of the country. Then the unique twist, which sees day care […]

However, recently, it is getting difficult by the day to truly know those who actually need help. Investigations into activities of beggars in Lagos metropolis revealed that some smart residents of Lagos have turned begging into a lucrative business, bringing people from other parts of the country. Then the unique twist, which sees day care centres, orphanages, religious organizations as established beggar agencies of sorts, sending their representatives to the streets, to beg for money.
The beggars mostly operate during rush hour. Mrs. Shade Bewaji, a mother of twins in her mid 50s, has been begging for alms since 2008 when she came to Lagos from one of the neighbouring states, she told Weekly Trust. According to her, the responsibility of providing for her twins fell on her when her husband was thrown out of work since May 2008. “In my own case, I have five children, three before these twins, but my husband is unemployed. We have been living from hand to mouth. We have to pay school fees, rent and feed,” she said.
Strewn all over the streets of Ikeja and at busy junctions, are mothers, young and old, brandishing twin babies or young children in tattered clothes reaching out towards cars or passersby, begging for alms.
Olanrewaju Ayinde, a Social Studies teacher said things like these were not common a couple of decades ago. He said things have changed because there is abject poverty in the land. These beggars who employ the use of their twin children or wards regard begging as the only way to make money to survive.
One of the beggars who preferred to be referred to as Halimat at Ketu, who spoke to our correspondent in Hausa, said the twin babies in her care weren’t hers. According to her, she ‘rents’ them from one of the homes for N1,000 per day, but refused to name the home. According to her, she makes more money when she uses the babies to beg because people will be more sympathetic to her. “I was begging on my own but people were not giving me money. Some say I should go and look for work. But I am not educated and I am very poor. A friend then recommended the place where they can ‘lend’ a child to use to beg. My friend collected twin babies too,” he explained to our correspondent.
When asked about the dangers of subjecting the babies to harsh weather and the possibility of the babies getting harmed she simply said, “God will protect them. God protects children, so nothing will happen to them.”
Also one Amina, who appears to be a cripple, sighted by our reporter at Ojodu Berger with twins also confirmed the children are not her babies. But she volunteered the information after extracting a promise from our correspondent that she won’t be arrested. According to her, she collects the babies from two separate women in Agege but refused to confirm whether the babies belonged to the women or not. She explained that they share the booty at the end of the day’s job, adding that she makes an average of N2000 and N3000 per day.
Dr. Dolapo Badru, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Youth, Sports and Social Development, told our reporter that the state government is actually trying to round-up beggars on Lagos streets to ensure a cleaner environment. However, it was observed that his office activities to clear destitute and beggars from Lagos have not had meaningful effect.
However, Mr. Peter Kanyin, a Psychology lecturer at the Lagos Polytechnic, told our correspondent that the practice is caused by environment and poverty. According to him, the environment currently leans towards begging which sees people de-emphasising work. “That is why you see people using twins for begging or pregnant women seeking help here and there.”
According to him, the over 20million employed people in the country is disturbing, adding that characteristically, people are bound to react to this discomfort in different and peculiar manner. And in the meantime, the numbers of beggars poking twin babies in the faces of Lagosians continues to rise.