By Victor Itodo Abuh
THE RESOURCE Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has condemned the planned relocation of hundreds of people described as beggars by the Lagos State Government, insisting that poverty and homelessness should not be criminalised.
In a press statement issued on Monday and signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, the organisation expressed concern over the announcement by the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, that 396 persons apprehended by the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) would be profiled, assisted where necessary and returned to their respective states.
According to CHRICED, while state governments have the constitutional responsibility to maintain public order and environmental sanitation, such powers should not be exercised in ways that infringe on the rights of Nigerian citizens.
The organisation stated, “We firmly oppose any policy that results in the involuntary relocation of Nigerian citizens simply because they are poor, homeless, or engaged in street begging.”
It added that “Poverty is not a crime. Homelessness is not an offence. Every Nigerian is a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, irrespective of economic status.”
CHRICED argued that governments at all levels should focus on addressing the structural causes of poverty, homelessness, street begging and social exclusion rather than relocating vulnerable citizens across state boundaries.
The rights group cited Sections 41(1) and 42 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), noting that every Nigerian has the right to move freely and reside in any part of the country without discrimination based on place of origin or other related grounds.
It also referenced the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantees freedom of movement, human dignity, liberty and equality before the law.
According to the organisation, the reported relocation of Nigerians, particularly those from northern states, raises constitutional and human rights concerns.
CHRICED stated that such actions “evoke troubling parallels with xenophobic practices witnessed in other countries, including South Africa’s repression of foreign nationals.”
The organisation recalled similar controversies in 2013 and 2014 when Lagos State relocated destitute persons to Anambra State, saying the recurrence highlights the need for a national framework to address homelessness and urban poverty.
“It is deeply troubling that Nigeria consistently condemns xenophobic attacks against its citizens abroad, yet practices within our own federation risk treating fellow Nigerians as unwelcome outsiders. Equal citizenship must be upheld in practice, not merely proclaimed in principle,” the statement said.
CHRICED maintained that while voluntary relocation remains acceptable, any movement of vulnerable persons must be based on informed consent.
It said, “Where individuals voluntarily wish to return to their home states, governments have a duty to ensure such relocation is humane, dignified and based on informed consent. Any relocation undertaken without free and informed consent raises serious constitutional and human rights concerns.”
The organisation called on governments to adopt rights-based social welfare policies, including the establishment of temporary shelters and rehabilitation centres, improved access to healthcare and psychosocial support, skills acquisition programmes, employment opportunities, social protection initiatives and long-term reintegration strategies.
It further urged the Lagos State Government to clarify whether the relocation of the affected persons was voluntary and supported by verifiable records of informed consent.
CHRICED also appealed to the Federal Government, the National Human Rights Commission, civil society organisations and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to develop national guidelines that protect the rights and dignity of vulnerable Nigerians while allowing states to pursue legitimate environmental and public safety objectives.
The statement concluded, “Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees one citizenship and one nation. No Nigerian should ever be made to feel like a foreigner within the borders of the Federal Republic.”
