Some women who have been renting babies and using them to beg in the street have been arrested and paraded by security operatives.
The four women who were arrested by the police begging with rented babies
Four women have been arrested by the security agents in Lagos state after they were caught begging with rented babies.
This was revealed by the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development on Thursday. Five infants of about 14-month-old were rescued from the beggars at the Iyana-Ipaja area of the state.
According to reports, it has been revealed that many women have been engaging in the fraud by renting babies to beg for alms. It was gathered that the suspects usually move from place to place with the babies begging people to give them money.
The Permanent Secretary, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, who paraded the suspects and rescued infants on Thursday before newsmen in the state, said the women and their infants were apprehended during routine rescue operations by the ministry.
“It is very sad that most of the beggars are not the biological parents of the children they use for begging. It is our responsibility as government to protect the dignity of children being used as tools for begging which is a punishable offence.”
One of the suspects, Shakira Olatunde, 35, claimed her husband absconded when she gave birth to her child. She said: “I was selling rice and beans but when Customs seized my goods I became helpless.
“When I was selling sachet water, the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) officials arrested me,” Olatunde added.
The other, Mrs. Abosede Ayuba, who was arrested with two identical twins, claimed that she lost her husband when she gave birth to the twins.
“I used to work before but I stopped working when I did not have strength to work. As I speak, I don’t have a cup of ‘Gaari’ at home to give them.” the woman said.