Beggers harbours guns, charms, others – Kwara govt laments

No fewer than ten persons were reported dead in the various fire incidents which occurred in the state in 2023, AbdulQwawiy Olododo, the Kwara State Commissioner for Works and Transport, has said.

This came as the state Commissioner for Social Development, Afolashade Opeyemi, disclosed that some beggars in the state were found with dangerous arms like guns, daggers, charms, and other dangerous weapons.

The state commissioners made this known on Monday while giving the scorecard of the one-year administration of Governor AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq’s second term at an inter-ministerial press briefing organised by the Ministry of Communications and Strategy.

Olododo said that the state Fire Service saved property worth N18 billion during the period while attributing the saving of many lives to the prompt interventions of Fire Service officers and the purchase of modern firefighting equipment and accessories by the state government.

Olodod, while speaking on road projects, said that 75 road projects earmarked for rehabilitation, reconstruction, and interlocking had been completed across the state, reducing travel times.

He also said that work is ongoing on an additional 80 road projects across the 16 local government areas, aimed at further reconstruction, rehabilitation, or interlocking.

He said, “The State Fire Service, during the time under review, received 190 emergency calls from citizens. The State Fire Service saved property worth over N18 billion from fire incidents in the past year, while the estimated value of property lost during this period amounted to N629 million.

“Additionally, at least ten lives were lost to fire disasters during the year, though many fire victims were rescued alive”, the Commissioner said.

Meanwhile, Opeyemi said the state government raided and took away from the Ilorin metropolis marked beggars suspected to be arms depots for criminals, adding that 158 of such beggars had been mopped up across the state in the last year.

The commissioner, while stating that 158 of such beggars had been mopped up across the state in the last year, also lamented that most of the beggars raided were found with dangerous arms like guns, daggers, charms and other dangerous weapons, wondering what people who claimed to be beggars could be doing with such dangerous weapons and charms.

She said, “Our discovery is a confirmation that criminals keep their guns and other weapons with the so-called beggars.”

Opeyemi also hinted that five lunatics threatening the peace of the Ilorin metropolis have been treated by the state government at a psychiatric home in the Olorunda area, Ilorin and discharged after due certification of their mental stability and repatriated back to their respective states.

She said, “We have evacuated 158 young beggars from the streets, 88 were raided the first time while another 70 were later added. They have since been repatriated to their states.”

The Commissioner said the state government’s delegation had on several occasions met with the leadership of these impaired people on the need to rid the state of menaces, but “the truth is that they are just too stubborn”.