A new breed of beggars known as "Corporate Beggars" is now on the rise in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) due to increased economic hardship.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent reports that the corporate beggars have now taken begging as a means of livelihood as it gives them more income than having to do regular jobs.
The beggars usually hang around residential buildings, shopping malls, bus stops, religious centres, hospitals, markets, roadsides and offices.
One such beggar at the Banex plaza, Mrs Hauwa Baba, said that she had taken to begging to enable her to feed her family.
"I have to beg to feed my sick husband and my six children. Times are hard, we feed once in two days, no money to buy my husband's drugs because he is diabetic.
" I used to work in a private firm but they reduced their staff strength due to the current economic situation in the country, and getting another job has been difficult.
"I have no choice but to beg as it is better than stealing," Baba said.
According to Baba, even if she gets another job now, she will have to consider if the job favoured her more before she can quit begging.
Mr Habib Ibrahim, a beggar at Wuse market said that most of them begged because they had no other means of livelihood.
"I have been begging for over nine years in different locations in Abuja, I am married and blessed with nine children.
"I use the money I get to feed and train my children in school, they go to school during the week and they join me in begging at weekends, we share ourselves to different locations," he said.
Ibrahim who said that he used to make over ₦200,000 monthly, however, said he barely made up to ₦100,000 these days due to the economic hardship in the country.
"Due to the current economic hardship, I now make between N90,000 and N100,000 monthly. This is the only thing I know how to do and it pays me more than getting a job.
"I know when workers receive their salaries, and that is the time I go to government offices. Every season has its location," he said.
Ibrahim said he always dresses well and neatly to enable his clients to give him an audience when he approaches them with his sad tales.
According to him, most Nigerians are not moved and are usually not ready to help when they do not hear sad tales from you on why you are on the streets.
Another beggar, Uche Ray, said that begging paid his bills, adding that he earned up to ₦5,000 and above on a daily basis through begging.
"I did not choose to beg but the economy turned me into one.
"I used to work in a factory but after the fuel subsidy removal the company left the country and made me jobless, I have people who depend on me, that was how I started begging.
"If I get a good job I may stop begging, but for now, this pays the bills," Ray said.
A beggar with a disability, Aisha Sariki, said she was born blind into a large family.
Sariki said because of her condition, people were always willing to help her and this made her adopt begging to support her family.
"My family now depends on what I make from the business. We feed and send some of my siblings to school and some of my other siblings take turns to move me to different locations to beg.
"But I would love to be enrolled into school of the blind for the sake of my future too," Sariki said.
NAN reports that some beggars now prey on the sympathy of unsuspecting Nigerians who find it difficult to distinguish between genuine requests from beggars who cook up stories in order for people to have pity on them.
They trick people into giving them money, citing personal challenges or family problems such as the inability to pay medical bills, school fees, and house rent.
Sometimes, some of them even claim they are stranded with no money to continue their journey, just so you can give them money.
A victim, Hajiya Ummi Umar, said that after her encounter with a corporate beggar at a hospital in Zone 3, she swore never to fall for their tricks again.
"A well-dressed lady stopped me and we exchanged pleasantries, and she enquired if I could help her buy some drugs for her child who is on admission.
"I pitied her because she was almost crying and I asked for the cost of the drug after which I transferred N20,000 to her.
"A few days later, the same lady approached me at the federal secretariat, using the same trick and I explained to her that we had met, only for her to say bad market and walk away.
"These so-called beggars prey on the empathy of human beings because they know that out of 10 people, six may be willing to help," she said.
Umar said the beggars were always ready with tales of stolen wallets, sick children or the like and strike their victims once they were given listening ears.
"They look out for people riding in SUVs, official cars, or those who are well dressed. Once you respond to their greetings politely, they strike.
"I used to pay for their transportation before I realised it was a group of people who do it every day, they beg on their way to and from their locations," she said.
A businessman, Emeka Mark, said that he was used to them and the lies they tell to exploit innocent citizens, who they end up earning more than.
"It's either they need money for food, transportation, hospital bills or drugs among others."
Meanwhile, a civil servant, Hajiya Hauwa Abdulaziz, said that begging used to be for the vulnerable, but now so many fake or lazy people have decided to use it as a form of business.
"I will still encourage people to help beggars because it is a good attribute and God loves givers. Givers also never lack, so just do it for the sake of God," Abdulaziz said.
NAN reports that many people with disabilities as well as the less privileged beg as a source of livelihood.
It was mostly for those unable to fend for themselves who reach out to people, who in return grant them help in either monetary form, food or clothing.
But presently, as the economy bites harder, corporate beggars are on the streets, people who don't have any form of disability, and able-bodied individuals who can work have resolved to beg for various reasons.
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