Lagos urges influencers to stop giving miscreants money

Abdullateef Fowewe

Lagos State Government has called on celebrities, influencers, and well-meaning residents to desist from handing out money to miscreants on the streets, warning that such acts worsen the problem rather than solve it.

An X user highlighted the growing security concerns along a corridor in Lagos, stating, “The State needs to station the men of the Lagos State Neighborhood Watch to help & protect motorists from the harassment, extortion, assault & intimidation by the many homeless boys & teenagers along that corridor, they are all a menace to us all.”

Responding on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, emphasised the counterproductive nature of giving cash remarking, “While your opinion is valid, let me also stress an important point: celebrities, influencers, and even well-meaning Lagosians must stop giving money to these miscreants.

“Each time you hand them cash, you are not solving their problem; you are encouraging them to stay on the streets, emboldening them to multiply, and reinforcing a cycle of lawlessness.”

He further warned, “What may seem like an act of kindness only makes enforcement more difficult and creates bigger security and environmental concerns for all of us.”