A decoy team of the Rapid Response Squad have arrested seven Barons for importing eight children living with disabilities into Lagos for begging on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, Lagos.
The seven barons along with 6 of their 8 beggars were arrested mid-day on Monday 4 June at Mobolaji Bank Anthony way after almost a week of monitoring by the decoy team of the unit.
The barons arrested are: Sanni Isiaku (40), Abubakar Gahu (50), Abdullahi Mohammed (45), Nasiru Yusman (21), Mato Abdullahi (20), Nura Idris (17) and Sagiru Ibrahim (26).
The children found living with disabilities who were in their possession are: Aminu Kabiru (12), Yusuph Nasiru (9), Amina Kabir (12), Ayuba Idris (12).
According to Mato Abdullahi, I “borrowed Amina Kabir from her mother who happened to be my sister. I bring her early in the morning to ‘Underbridge’ to beg. She begged while I wait around.
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“At the end of the day, we make between N3000 and N4000. Depending on what we made, I remove my own and I hand over the remaining to the lady.
“Before, we make between N5000 and N6000. But now things have changed. We don’t make up to that anymore. A lot of us are here now and the competition is stiff, before you get to one car, another set of beggars have gotten there”.
“We have other people we settle daily. He is like our overseer. He has his own cut in what everybody makes. He comes through for us whenever there are problems like arrests.
According to Abubakar Gahu, “I use my son for begging. There are five of them. He is living with disability. Three others are in school in Agege. The last one is still very young.
“He is the one I use in making the money from begging. While his brothers go to school, I bring him here for begging. It is whatever we raise daily that we use in maintaining the family.”
The arrest was based on intelligence received from one of our social media platforms, indicating that some group of people were importing physically challenged children into Lagos and were using them as beggars.
The case has been handed over to the Gender Department of the Lagos State Police Command.
