Several beggars on Friday gathered at Eid prayer grounds across Lagos State to solicit alms for survival.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 12 beggars were seen at the Army Cantonment Eid ground in Ojo, Lagos, seeking support from worshippers.
Two of the beggars, who spoke with NAN said they looked forward to Eid because it offered them better opportunities for almsgiving from worshippers.
One of them, a visually impaired, middle-aged woman guided by a teenage girl, said she had been in the alms-seeking trade in the Ojo area for nine years.
“The Army Cantonment Eid ground is one of the choice places to meet our targets. That’s why many of us come here,” she said.
Another beggar, a man with disabilities in a wheelchair, noted that one of the core messages of Eid was almsgiving.
“It is an opportunity for people like us to receive both cash and material gifts from worshippers.
“Today alone, I have received plenty of money, food items, and clothes, much more than on ordinary days. We also offer prayers for those who give, asking Allah to bless them,” he said.
Mr Jamiu Onafowakan, a social worker with the Oriade Local Council Development Authority (LCDA), acknowledged that almsgiving had become a common feature of the Eid festival.
However, he described street begging as a social challenge that needed to be addressed.
“It is an injunction in Islam for the haves to care for the have-nots, but the current state of dependence on begging to survive is a societal failure that needs intervention.
“A rehabilitation framework should be put in place,” he said.
A NAN Correspondent observed that at the nearby Ojo Central Mosque, the scene was similar, with many beggars focusing their appeals on prominent attendees, including politicians.(NAN)
