Street begging: Lagos proposes ₦200,000 fine, jail term for repeat offenders
The Lagos State House of Assembly has initiated legislative action to prohibit street begging and the presence of street urchins in all public places in the state.
Under a newly drafted bill titled the Street Begging and Street Urchins (Prohibition, Prevention and Rehabilitation) Law of Lagos State, repeat offenders face steep penalties, including heavy fines and imprisonment.
TVC News Online obtained the draft bill from the official Instagram handle of the Nigerian Bar Association, Lagos Branch, as it invited members to participate in the Lagos State House of Assembly Public Hearing on the Street Begging & Street Urchins (Prohibition, Prevention & Rehabilitation) Bill 2026, holding on Tuesday, September 15th.
The proposed legislation aims to eliminate street begging, clear public places—including highways, bridges, markets, motor parks, bus stops, and traffic intersections—of street urchins, and restore public order and environmental sanity.
According to the provisions of the bill, engaging in, procuring, aiding, or abetting street begging or street urchins constitutes an offence. Furthermore, loitering, sleeping, residing, assembling, or setting up temporary or permanent structures in public or private spaces for the purpose of begging is strictly banned.
Parents, guardians, or custodians who permit or use children under their care for street begging face prosecution under applicable child protection laws in addition to sanctions under this Act.
The bill outlines a three-tier penalty structure for violators. Section 19 of the draft bill said that First Offenders will “be warned and referred to the Rehabilitation and Custodial Centre established under this law; as a second offender, liable to pay a fine not exceeding ₦200,000.00 or a non-custodial sentence not exceeding Three (3) months or both;” and “…as a serial offender, to a custodial sentence for a term not exceeding two (2) years.”
The bill designates the Environmental Sanitation Corps Agency as the primary enforcement authority, working in coordination with the Nigeria Police Force and the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Watch.
Authorised officers of the agency are empowered to arrest suspects without a warrant and seize any items used in committing the offence. Apprehended individuals will undergo profiling and documentation before being handed over to the police or referred for legal and rehabilitation processes. The High Court and Magistrate Courts of Lagos State are vested with jurisdiction to try all offences under the proposed law.
Addressing social welfare needs, the law mandates the Ministry of Youth and Social Development to establish and maintain Rehabilitation and Welfare Centres. These centres will provide temporary custody, vocational training, literacy programmes, psychological counselling, and life skills education to reintegrate individuals into society. Children apprehended under the law will be managed under Child Rights Protection Laws and handed over to Child Welfare Support services.
To prevent enforcement abuses, the bill explicitly mandates that all enforcement actions must strictly comply with Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), prohibiting torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, and unlawful detention.
Section 15 of the draft bill made provision for the protection against abuse: “Any person arrested for violating any of the provisions of this Law shall not be subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, or unlawful detention by the authorised officers.”
Credit- TVC
