CHRICE Condemns Lagos Forced Relocation of Citizens

CHRICE, a human rights organization, has condemned the recent actions of the Lagos State government regarding the forced relocation of individuals, particularly those engaged in street begging. The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, led by Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab, apprehended 396 individuals, many of whom are poor and homeless.

CHRICE's Executive Director, Comrade Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, stated that poverty is not a crime and that every Nigerian citizen has the right to move freely throughout the country, as guaranteed by Section 41(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The organization emphasized that the government's policies result in the involuntary relocation of citizens, which is a violation of their rights. They called for accountability from the government regarding the structural conditions that perpetuate poverty and homelessness, asserting that social exclusion should not be tolerated.