Uwenke was arrested at the
Oshodi area of the state after officers of the Task Force noticed that her
son’s leg was actually not wounded.
Chinagoro Uwenke, 40, who
was arrested by members of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences
Unit Task Force for using her 11-year-old son to beg for alms, has said she
went into the “business” because it is lucrative.
When the bandages were
removed, it was discovered that the child had no injury.
The suspect has been using
her son to beg for alms for five years.
During interrogation,
Uwenke said she made between N3,500 and N5000 daily.
“I live at Oloko-Dana,
Ijora-Olopa area, in Oyingbo. I am from Abia State. Yes, my son is hale and
hearty, but I took to begging because it is lucrative. I make more money at
Oshodi than any other area because of the number of people that pass by daily.
“I withdrew my son from
school back in Abia and brought him to Lagos five years ago to use him to beg
for alms. That is what most people do. This is because people take pity on
children. My five other children are with my husband in Ata town, Abia State.
“What I do is to wrap his
leg with bandage, after which I would pour GV and other liquid substance which
will make it look as if it is an injury that refused to heal. I would then beg
people to help me with money to take him to the hospital. Some will even give
without me begging them.
“But I am appealing to
government not to take me to court. If I am left off the hook, I promise to go
back to the village and join my family,” she said.
begging is better than stealing, leave them alone
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