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35 Int. J. Offender Therapy & Comp. Criminology 21 (1991)
Begging in Nigeria

handle is hein.journals/ijotcc35 and id is 21 raw text is: Begging in Nigeria Patrick Edobor Igbinovia Abstract: Phenomenon of beggars in Nigeria is described. Classes and types of beggars indicate the complexity of this social problem. The author points to a variety of sources for this problem and suggests specific changes as steps toward alleviation. INTRODUCTION Begging is one of the most serious social problems in Nigeria today. According to the United Nations, there are 450 million beggars and destitutes in the world. Of these, 3 million are in Nigeria (The Role of Government, 1988, April 17, Sunday Times:8). Beggars are a social menace in Nigeria: they roam the streets, harass citizens, disrupt the flow of traffic on the highways, and engage in various forms of crimes. Beggars are also social parasites. Begging has become a social institution-an industry, a commercial enterprise, an occupation for otherwise healthy and able- bodied citizens who have refused to work for a living. Many of the beggars in Nigeria are carriers of terrible and contagious diseases, and they pose serious health consequences for the citizenry (Ndubuisi, 1986). Indeed, beggars not only constitute a scourge to Nigerian society, they also form the dregs of the Nigerian society. Inspite of the prevalence of begging in Nigeria, it has received little scholarly attention. With the exception of a pamphlet on the rehabilitation of beggars in Nigeria, there are no other scholarly works on the phenom- enon (Okediji, Sofola, Abubakar, & Gana, 1972). Therefore, the purpose of this essay is to examine the nature, extent, characteristics, causes, and patterns of begging in Nigeria. Several recommendations aimed at pre- venting and controlling the phenomenon are tendered. BEGGING AND RELIGION Little is known about the origin of begging in society. What is certain, however, is that the giving and receiving of alms is not a recent phenome- non. Soliciting alms has always been a way for poor people to make a living in all societies. Indeed, the practice could probably be traced back to biblical times, when beggars were seen at the gates of temples of worship soliciting alms. The Bible and the Koran state emphatically that the affluent should give alms to the poor. In the Koran it is stated: In the Name of Allah the Compassionate, the Merciful. 107:1 Have you thought of him that denies the Last Judgement? It is he who turns away the orphan and does not urge others to feed the poor. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 35(1), 1991 from the SAGE Social Science Collections. All Rights Reserved.

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