The Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA Global Resource Initiative) has urged the Lagos State House of Assembly to amend the proposed Street Begging and Street Urchins (Prohibition, Prevention and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2026, warning against criminalising poverty in the state.
HURMA through its Executive Director, Comrade Buna Olaitan Isiak, made the call in a memorandum submitted to the Assembly during the public hearing on the proposed legislation held today, at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium, Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja.
HURMA called for the Bill to be renamed the “Street Nuisance, Public Safety and Rehabilitation Law,” arguing that the proposed legislation should address not only street begging but also violent and organised street crimes.
In his submission, HURMA’s Executive Director, Comrade Buna commended the Assembly for initiating measures to improve public order and safety but warned that concentrating primarily on beggars without tackling the underlying causes of poverty and street violence would not adequately serve the people of Lagos.
The group particularly opposed the proposed N200,000 fine and two-year jail term contained in Section 19 of the Bill, says that imposing such penalties on vulnerable people could result in the incarceration of poor Nigerians rather than addressing the circumstances that pushed them onto the streets.
It advocated rescue, assessment, rehabilitation and social support for vulnerable persons instead of punitive measures.
HURMA also called for enforcement of the proposed law to be handled by trained social workers under the Ministry of Youth and Social Development rather than through warrantless arrests by enforcement personnel.
The group further urged the Assembly to protect vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, the elderly, mentally ill persons and victims of disasters, until adequate social protection mechanisms are put in place. While raised concerns over the activities of alleged organised street gangs popularly known as “Area Boys,” accusing them of extortion, night-time robbery and open involvement in drug-related activities.
HURMA argued that a comprehensive public safety law should address such threats alongside street begging and poverty.
The organisation said Lagos needed legislation that would combine public order with human dignity, stressing that vulnerable persons should be rehabilitated while those involved in violent or predatory crimes should face prosecution.
“Lagos deserves order with dignity, rehabilitation for the vulnerable and prosecution for the violent,” HURMA stated.
HURMA urged the lawmakers to amend the Bill to ensure that it complies with constitutional principles while providing a comprehensive framework for public safety and the rehabilitation of vulnerable residents.