By Ola Kay
A human rights body, World Institute for Peace, WIP has called on the Lagos State Government to immediately effect the release of homeless persons who were arrested on Wednesday as a way not to criminalize homelessness in the state.
The body urged the state government to instead consider a lasting solution to the plight of displaced persons in the state.
In a strongly worded appeal letter written to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu through the Environmental Sanitation Corps and the Kick Against Indiscipline Squad, the Executive Director of the World Institute for Peace, WIP, Mr. Lamina Kamiludeen Omotoyosi, expressed the concern of the rights body about recent arrests made by the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps and the Kick Against Indiscipline Squad on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
The statement reads in part, “These arrests targeted individuals who were found sleeping under the bridges and open spaces in Lagos State.
“We urge the Lagos State government to release these individuals and to find lasting solutions to the issue of displaced or homeless people in the state.”
The Executive Director of WIP observed that many of the victims of arrest are unfortunately those “indirectly employed by the state as they work as uploaders and offloaders of goods in various markets in the state.”
The human rights group also noted that the arrest of the homeless persons who were simply seeking shelter under the circumstance constitutes not only the denial of their basic human rights but also disruption of the local economy in the state.
The statement signed by the executive director of the World Institute for Peace, WIP, ( a copy of which was made available to The Pinnacle Times), advised the governor Sanwo-Olu led government to address the root causes of homelessness and displacement in Lagos State.
As a way forward, WIP itemized provisions of affordable housing, access to social services, and opportunities for employment in the state, while warning further that, “by criminalizing homelessness, the government is only perpetuating the cycle of poverty and marginalization.”
In making a passionate appeal for the immediate release of the arrested persons, the body said: “The Institute hereby calls on the Lagos state government to release the individuals arrested on April 17 and to work towards creating a more inclusive and compassionate society.
“We believe that by addressing the underlying issues of homelessness and displacement, the government can create a more peaceful and prosperous future for all residents of Lagos state.”I believe you will you will consider this call and advice.”
About The Author
