Underage Beggars: Enforcement Cannot Be Approached With Emotion – Lagos State Replies Tacha

The Lagos state Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has responded to the condemnation of reality TV star, Tacha, over the arrest of underage street beggars.

Naija News reports that Wahab, on Wednesday, shared a video showing the moment a child beggar was arrested by men of the state’s environmental taskforce.

Reacting, Tacha condemned the development, insisting that the government had failed the children.

She argued that instead of arresting the minors, the government should establish proper vocational centres with boarding facilities that teach practical skills, such as shoe-making, design, photography, and videography.

Responding to her comment on social media, Wahab emphasised that it is not the duty of the government to parent recalcitrant children.

He wrote, ‘’Dear Tacha, Thank you for your concern.

“Advocacy and enforcement cannot be approached with emotion or knee-jerk reactions. They must be guided by law, data, and long-term social responsibility.

“No one disputes the reality of poverty or the dangers children face on our highways. The presence of minors on major expressways, such as Lekki–Epe, is precisely why intervention is necessary, not why enforcement should be abandoned. Leaving children to dodge speeding vehicles in the name of compassion is not empathy; it is neglect.

“To start with, Lagos State public schools are tuition-free with free payment for their WAEC examination. Also, Lagos has existing free technical colleges, vocational centres, and skills-acquisition programmes across the state, many of which teach trades such as shoemaking, fashion, photography, ICT, and creative arts. Beyond government facilities, community leaders, NGOs, religious bodies, and even elected officials across the State routinely organise free training and empowerment programmes. These interventions may not be perfect, but it is inaccurate to suggest that nothing exists.

“It may interest you to know that each time these kids are apprehended, they are profiled, some are returned to their parents who mostly are not living in Lagos, while others who are interested in learning skills are giving free admission through the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development. However, the role of the government is not to parent recalcitrant children.

“Dear Tacha, beyond social media and like every other person who have partnered with the state, we would be willing to work with you and others alike to contribute to taken kids like this off the street. Kindly reach out to me or the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development @Mo_ogunlende”