Kaduna State Beggars Threaten To Sue Government

On Saturday, physically challenged street beggars threatened legal action against the Kaduna state government for alleged defamation of character and violation of their right to life.After their activities have been banned, Kaduna state beggars threaten legal action for defamation of character, violation of right to life
A group of beggars, consisting of men, women and children, arrived at the Kaduna Secretariat of Nigeria Union of
Journalists. The group, represented by Abdullahi Jugunu, opposed the ban on street begging and hawking. Jugunu maintained that beggars ought to have been consulted before the pronouncement.
“Apart from feeling insulted, we will be seeking legal redress against the government, first for defamation of character,” he said. “The ban which came only after the Zaria blast is a subtle way of calling us terrorists. Our right to life is now under threat because our existence is hinged on begging activities on the streets.
“We are giving the authorities three days to rescind their decision or risk being victims of a spell we would profess against them. Our promise for now is that we will be returning to the streets for our normal business.”
It will be recalled that after Zaria was bombed on Tuesday, state governor Nasir El-Rufai, banned such activities as a preventive and safety measure so as to reduce the risk of possible attacks.