Children take over major streets, markets in C’River

Large number of destitute, popularly referred to as Scolombo boys and girls, have taken over major streets of Calabar, the Cross River state capital.

Most of them with ages ranging from five to 17 years, Daily Times investigation revealed, are from neighbouring states while others are non Nigerians who came from other Countries like Niger and other war torn areas.

These people, it was gathered, disrupted traffic by hanging on vehicles soliciting for money. Interestingly, parents of these small beggars sat under the trees and road side monitored their kids as they begged for money.

Investigations further revealed that these children virtually took over some public institutions, abandoned properties, uncompleted buildings, refuse bins and dumped sites. These beggars looked unkempt and hold their victims hostage until they are giving money.

Sadly, anybody that refuses to give money had his or her clothes torn as well as threatened and insulted. These beggars in most cases appeared violent. Another set of beggars it was gathered were cripples who are physically challenged also invaded the city particularly traffic posts where vehicles stopped waiting for instruction from traffic wardens.

The beggars were found along the stretch of Calabar road, IBB, Mary Slessor, Watt Market and other places. It would be recalled that some months back, Immigration Command in Cross River State repatriated several illegal immigrants but the number that came in now are more than the number that were repatriated.

Confirming the presence of these street beggars and their activities in the state, the Commissioner for Sustainable Development and Social Welfare Mr Oliver Orok told our correspondent that the ministry had had several meetings with Immigration and Hausa community with a view to getting these illegal immigrant out of the state, yet the influx was getting out of hand

“We actually had several meeting with Immigration services in respect of Fulanis and all these people that came to the State through illegal ways. You discovered that some of them came in through legal process with document but some come in through illegal process. We had met with Saraki, Hausa Community in Bogo Biri and these beggars were taken out of the streets, some left on their own, some were repatriated by immigration.

“All of the sudden, they are back again, we have written to the Immigrations officially on the matter that this people are back to the street, how do they come, we don’t know. Normally we have issue of logistics earlier on when we try to repatriate them, our state governor assisted in making sure they were taken off the street. Now that we have notice that they are back, we also going to write to Immigration services and make sure that they are off the street” the Commissioner stated.”

The Commissioner remarked “Our own duty is to make sure that we take out street children in the street, we keep them for a month, monitoring them interview them and thereafter we repatriate them back to their different states” According to the commissioner, the state government has made it mandatory for parents of the street children to sign undertaken that if their kids are found in the street, government will not fail to prosecute them.

“Recently, we have adopted a method whereby the parents must sign undertaken that, if their children are found on the street again, they will be prosecuted, base on this, we have a ICT unit for image capturing of these children because we notice that when we sent them back, after a while they come back and some who are in the state are left by their parents to go out source for money to feed the family” he explained.

He maintained that the state government was working on that as well as given financial assistance to some parents and making sure the ones who are matured has something to do with a view to reducing crime rates in town.

“Last time, we rescued about 125 children and any child that is over 18 cannot be kept in our home, it is not our duty to take care of the adult but to take care of the children, street children, the vulnerable, the less privilege, handicap, but in these foreigners coming to the streets, we are synergizing with Immigration to make sure that they are taken out of the street”

Daily Time discovered that most of the open defecation found in streets are done by these destitute and our finding further revealed that these illegal immigrants came into the state in trucks that conveyed yams, Onions, Potatoes and other items to the state