The children advocators in Ibadan Zone 1, Oyo state has raised alarm over the increasing number of children begging for alms along major highways in the state which has become a source of livelihood for some individuals who are using children for street begging.
This was contained in a communique at the end of the Child Protection Network, Ibadan Zone 1, Oyo state strategic meeting for 2026, signed by the zonal Coordinator Comrade Jadesola Ajibola and the secretary, Comrade Lawal Omolabake where the members of the zone unanimously called on stakeholders to rise to the occasio.n to remove children from unsafe space and end the act of exposing them to dangers and all forms of sexual abuses which accounts for the increase in the number of out of school children in Oyo state agree on the following,
The members agreed that street children should be eradicated on the streets across Oyo state, while children exploiters should be apprehended by security agents and prosecuted under the laws of the federal republic of Nigeria as well as the Violence against persons prohibition law as well as the child’s right act.
Children advocators called on the Oyo state house of assembly, ably led by Right Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin to enact laws and come up with policies that will address street begging in the state and the sdadetry of children, ensuring that the ministries of health, education, Women affairs and social inclusion, chieftaincy matters, youth and sports, establishment and training should play their statutory roles in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to curb street children and begging that involves children and adults in the state.
Ibadan Zone 1 of CPN opined That it is no longer news that children on the street seen in the shameful act of begging on the streets, especially motor parks are being exposed both male and female to sexual harassment and abused, calling on journalists and security agencies saddles with the protection of the children to investigate and perpetrators should be brought to book under the Oyo state laws.
The group call on the Oyo state government to move children without homes off the streets while providing basic social services such as food, education, healthcare services etc and empower their parents to provide for them to create a safer space for all children.
” We wish to state that street children are prey to assault, social ills and prone to accident while being exposed to street life. Knowing that reports have shown that some of the street children are used as spy, armed robbers, kidnappers and ritualists by perpetrators”
We therefore call on all stakeholders to swing into action as we all prepare to commemorate the 2026 International day for street children coming up in April, 2026.
