The Delta State government has defended its decision to evacuate over a dozen homeless children, including a 19-year-old mother and her three-month-old baby, from the streets.
Officials from the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, and Social Development expressed concerns over the rising number of destitute individuals flocking to the state capital, Asaba, from neighboring and distant states. Many engage in street begging, while some have been linked to criminal activities.
Following a raid on key locations in Asaba and its surroundings, Commissioner Pat Ajudua explained that the exercise was meant to remove vulnerable children from the streets for profiling before reuniting them with their parents or caregivers.
“They constitute a nuisance and, over time, may turn to crime, posing security risks to the state. Delta State does not encourage street hawking or allow children and women to sleep under bridges,” Ajudua stated.
Among those apprehended were twin brothers, Clinton and Henry, who were found wandering early in the morning.
Somto Ifekanma, a sachet water vendor, lamented his arrest, explaining that he had spent the night on the streets due to a lack of accommodation. “You won’t see me at Summit Junction again. I only went there because of what happened last night,” he said.
A 19-year-old Regina Albert from Onitsha, Anambra State, who claimed to have cancer, was found begging with her baby at Summit Junction when officials intervened.
“I was sitting and begging to raise money for an operation when the officials came and arrested me,” she said.