Oyo commence evacuation of beggars to Akinyele resettlement centre

The Oyo State Government has started evacuating beggars from shanties in Ibadan, the state capital, to the state’s Akinyele resettlement center.

While the evacuation process began months ago, the relocation of the beggars formally began on Tuesday morning, according to a statement made by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa.

The beggars were transported from their shanties on Jemibewon Road in Ibadan’s Sabo neighborhood to the recently constructed Akinyele Resettlement Centre, which was previously seen by Arewa community officials and beggar representatives on Saturday.

“The State’s Commissioner for Environment, Barrister Idowu Oyeleke, who led the first group of evacuees to Akinyele, claimed that the new site is equipped with social facilities including as schools, clinics, and recreation centers,” Adisa stated in the statement.

Other ministries engaging in the effort include Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Information, Culture and Tourism, Local and Chieftaincy Matters, and the Office of the Executive Secretary, Oyo State Security Trust Fund, in addition to the Ministry of Environment.

According to the CPS, Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration began evacuating beggars in October 2019, when roughly 48 street children, beggars, and others were transported off the streets to rehabilitation centers in the state capital.