Adebayo Adenrele
A renowned Nigerian Lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana has called on Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanyo-Olu to return the beggars and destitute that the government once used for political interest, back to the state.
Falana stated that the victims, who were reported to Osun State were once the tools of politicians during elections but were abandoned after the whole electioneering process.
According to him, no government have the power to expel any Nigerian or deny anyone from staying in a place he or she want to reside.
Falana stated this in the response to the action of the state government by evacuating people they tagged ‘beggars and miscreants’ from Lagos.
He said, “In 2013, when the Babatunde Fashola administration expelled some beggars and destitute from Lagos, I did protest and made it clear to the government that time that the government has no power to remove any Nigerian and expel him or her because every Nigerian has the right to take residence in any part of the federation, you have freedom of movement.
“If you are going to be taken out or expelled from the country, you must have to go to court and it’s not possible to expel a citizen of this country within Nigeria or outside the country as we saw in the case of Shugabha in the second republic where the ruling party decided to expel the majority leader of the House of Assembly in Borno state and dumped him.
“He challenged it and the court ruled in his favour and he was brought back to the Country.
“Even in Nigeria today, it’s a war against the poor. Those who are expelled are said to be miscreants, sometimes you call them hoodlums during elections, it is the government that create hoodlums and miscreants, the government, like Lagos state must engage those beggars and destitute.
“I know Governor Adeleke of Osun state who has expressed concern will collaborate with his colleague in Lagos because no government has the power to expel any Nigerian from where he or she wants to reside. Those guys have to be brought back.”
