The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, made the appeal on Tuesday via a post on X (formerly Twitter), stressing that such acts only serve to embolden the individuals and perpetuate lawlessness in the state.
He added that what may appear to be an act of kindness complicates enforcement efforts and contributes to larger security and environmental problems for all residents.
“Celebrities, influencers, and even well-meaning Lagosians must stop giving money to these miscreants.
“Each time you hand them cash, you are not solving their problem; you are encouraging them to stay on the streets, emboldening them to multiply, and reinforcing a cycle of lawlessness.
“What may seem like an act of kindness only makes enforcement more difficult and creates bigger security and environmental concerns for all of us,” he stated.
Wahab’s comments were made in response to growing public concern over the rising number of street boys and touts in parts of the state, particularly on the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
A Lagos resident, Olukayode Ajenifuja, had earlier raised an alarm on the platform, citing increasing incidents of harassment, extortion, and assault by homeless youths and teenagers operating along the corridor.
“The State needs to station the men of the Lagos State Neighborhood Watch to help & protect motorists from the harassment, extortion, assault & intimidation by the many homeless boys & teenagers along that corridor, they are all a menace to us all,” Ajenifuja wrote.
The situation gained further attention after a video surfaced online showing a group of street touts and luxury car content creators chasing a convoy believed to be carrying Afrobeats star Burna Boy.
In the video, the group attempted to solicit money while filming for social media content but were blocked from reaching the vehicle by the artist’s security detail.
In recent months, the state government has intensified efforts to rid the state of miscreants on its streets.
On August 29, the enforcement teams of the state Ministry of Environment and Water Resources carried out a coordinated operation around Ozumba Mbadiwe and other parts of Lekki, leading to the arrest of 40 alleged miscreants that the government said were engaged in various unlawful activities that threaten the safety and orderliness of Lagos environment.
However, concerns remain about the growing number of idle youths taking to the streets for begging, hustling, and content creation.
“It’s starting to feel like the government is deliberately ignoring this Lekki-Epe expressway to punish the residents of that axis,” said an X user identified as HCI-MCI (@drhcimci).