The Lagos State Government has warned celebrities, influencers, and residents against giving money to touts on the streets, saying the act fuels insecurity and worsens environmental problems.
Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said people who hand out cash to miscreants may think they are being kind, but they are in fact encouraging lawlessness.
According to him, the handouts embolden the boys to remain on the streets, multiply, and make enforcement more difficult for the government. He stressed that Lagos can only tackle the menace if residents cooperate by refusing to patronise street urchins.
“The public must support government efforts by refusing to encourage these miscreants so we can create a safer and more secure environment for everyone,” Wahab said.
The warning followed a complaint from an X user, Ajenifuja, who raised alarm over harassment and extortion by homeless boys and teenagers along the Lekki-Epe Expressway. He urged the state to deploy men of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Watch to protect motorists from intimidation and assault.
