Some beggars in Ibadan have protested low patronage by members of the public.
The beggars numbering about 250, on Thursday protested while reacting to rumor alleging that some of them were selling cash received to ritualists.
According to the spokesperson for the indigent beggars; Imam Abubakar Abdullahi, Serikin Hausawa of Hausawa Community, Oja’ba, Ibadan, said the rumor had created deep hatred for his people hence the low patronage.
Vanguard quoted Abubakar saying: “The reports that some wealthy people are buying money from beggars, including the physically-challenged people, for money rituals is not true,”
“As a result of the claim that some ritualists do buy money from these beggars, there has been public resentment against these innocent people.
“What we know is that traders, hawkers and commercial drivers do come to these beggars who are mainly blind and lame people, to change money (get smaller denominations).
“We need to clear our names so that people will not be punishing us for offences we don’t know anything about.”
