Lagos Government Warns Against Giving Money to Touts

The Lagos State Government has cautioned celebrities, social media influencers, and residents against giving money to touts, warning that such gestures fuel insecurity and environmental problems.

Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, issued the warning in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday.

“Celebrities, influencers, and even well-meaning Lagosians must stop giving money to these miscreants,” Wahab wrote. “Each time you hand them cash, you are not solving their problem; you are encouraging them to stay on the streets, emboldening them to multiply, and reinforcing a cycle of lawlessness.”

He explained that what many regard as an act of kindness often makes law enforcement more difficult and aggravates wider social issues. “What may seem like kindness only makes enforcement harder and creates bigger security and environmental concerns for all of us,” he added.

Wahab’s comments came after a Lagos resident, Olukayode Ajenifuja, raised alarm on X about increasing harassment along the Lekki-Epe Expressway. Ajenifuja urged the government to deploy the Lagos State Neighbourhood Watch to protect motorists from “harassment, extortion, assault, and intimidation by the many homeless boys and teenagers along that corridor,” describing the situation as a menace.

The warning also followed the circulation of a viral video showing touts and luxury car content creators chasing a convoy believed to belong to Afrobeats star Burna Boy on Lagos Island. In the clip, some of the boys attempted to solicit money and record content but were stopped by the artiste’s security team.

Wahab reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling the menace but called on residents to support enforcement efforts by refusing to give money to the miscreants.