Despite the Kano state government’s ban on street begging in the state in February 2020, beggars still roam the streets of Kano.
Street begging thrives in Kano state and it includes both the young and the old.
In this piece, Daily News24 explores the reason why beggars have refused to adhere to the law against street begging in Kano, despite the fact that beggars are constantly being arrested.
In September 2021, Governor Ganduje said, “An agency will be put in place with full staff to look into this issue of street begging. We just cannot fold our hands and see the life of innocent kids being wasted away through this menace of street begging.”
Regardless of the governor’s proscription on their activities, Muhammad Mansur who has been begging all his life still begs in Kano.
After his mother’s demise when he was much younger, he migrated from Jigawa state to Kano for greener pastures because he believes that Kano metropolis has better opportunities for beggars.
Although he has graduated from begging in traffic, this year will make it a decade since he started sitting along Murtala Mohammed way to beg.
“The reason why I left the village in Jigawa to Kano city is because the farmers there don’t support beggars there.
“Kano city is the place where I am sure of getting support from because there are a lot of influential people who are always ready to give food or money.
“When I was a young boy, I used to go to Almajiri school and afterwards, I will go to various traffic points to beg for alms because of the situation of the country.” He said.
“I had to leave begging in traffic because a lot of young boys there and the competition there is stiff. I also stopped approaching the houses of politicians to beg for alms as a result of their securities who deny me access also I don’t want to get arrested like the way other beggars have been arrested.“ Mansur added.
He recalls when he used to know some influential people in time past and blames them for not helping him get off the street.
“Back then, I used to be in the midst of influential people in the society. If they had helped, my situation will not be like this. Allah knows my condition and whenever I come out to beg I will always get some money or food to eat.” He said.
Mansur said he believes that the government sends relief packages to help beggars in the state but the messengers siphon their packages.
“If the relief materials which I believe the government sends reaches me, I won’t be here begging.” He concluded.
Life not being fair as a reason for street begging
Sitting comfortably beside the road with her empty plate alongside her partners, Sa’adatu Dambatta is on the look for any individual who will either give her money, food or relief materials.
For close to five years, Sa’adatu, who is in her late forties has taken solace in street begging. She comfortably sits along Race course road in Kano state.
Sa’adatu explains that life hasn’t been fair to her, as she has no family or relative of any sort who she can call for assistance.
“My dream is to be a business woman who will sell goods to people but that is a far cry because begging is my reality. On a good day, I can get N1, 000 and on other days, I get less. Cooked food is what I am assured of daily. The monetary aspect of begging isn’t really gaining much for me.” She said.
While speaking to this reporter, a humanitarian pulls over to give relief items to Sa’adatu’s co-beggars and on realizing that the passerby had a bag containing ‘take away’ packs of food, she abandons the interview for the food, after all, that’s the reason why she is seated by the roadside.
“Saanu da zuwa.” (Good evening) She greets the humanitarian. “Nagode, Allah ya kara aziki” (rendering prayers of blessing to the humanitarian).
Although she stays alone and has children who are married, life hasn’t been fair to Aisha because she lost her job and to that end, resorted back to street begging.
She tells this reporter that she can feed herself but still begs in order to get extra cash for her other daily expenses.
“I am not an indigene of Kano but I grew up here and I don’t know my age. Begging isn’t my job because those who know me are aware that I used to work in a company. When the company where I was working closed down, I still went on to sell items in an Islamic school and when I got an injury in my leg, I stopped doing the business and turned to street begging.
“It’s not like I don’t have money to continue with my business but because of my leg injury, I just have to beg. I live on my own and my children are married as well. My children are not capable of taking care of me and because I have to pay my house rent and other expenses, begging is my only resort.
“My children tried to stop me from begging but I can’t just stop!
As for food, I don’t have a problem with feeding myself but I need extra money for my daily expenses that is why I am on the street, begging. If the government can help me with some money to continue my business, I will quit street begging because it is out of my will that I am begging.” Aisha told Daily News24.
Begging induced by COVID-19
Like Aisha, Sani also had a job before settled for street begging. The aftermath of the pandemic chocked him to the point where he had to beg on a daily basis to survive. He says that his family depends on him and as a family man, he now feeds his wife and two childrenthrough street begging. Although he is a newbie to begging, he is confident that his situation will not last for long.
“I sell chickens in the market and I used to gain as high as N80,000 in a month and when the pandemic started, it was difficult to go to the market because we were on lockdown. During the lockdown, I and my family used all the money I had been saving for long and since then I haven’t recovered.
“Till date, I am hopeful that I will still get funds to restart my business and go back to the market. Allah sees my heart, if I get any money today, by tomorrow I will bounce back to my business and I know that I will make profits which will be able to fend for myself and my family.” Mr Sani said.”
He called on the government to help him go back to the market because he doesn’t want to keep begging before he can fend for his family. “Allah sees my heart, that I am ready to work and if I get a job today or I get any money, by tomorrow you will not see me here. I have tried to apply for menial jobs but each time I try I always get disappointed.” Mr Sani told Daily News24.
What is common about these beggars is that most of them migrated from villages to the city in search of a better life.With their empty plates in their hands, Salisu and SamailaAl-mustapha who are brothers just finished eating their food and are ready to set out to beg for more food. They told Daily News24 that begging is a daily routine for them.
Speaking on behalf of his brother, Samaila said “were sent by their parent from Kura to Kumbotso LGA to learn Quranic education but we have to beg every day. We start begging from around 7am after our classes and we do that till late in the evening. We have been begging for about two years since we came here
