Children Beggars
Today, my companion and I found ourselves lounging by the roadside, leisurely observing the ebb and flow of passersby while delving into the intricacies of our nation's economic slump and the relentless grip of inflation that now seemed commonplace in our conversations. Among the usual parade of beggars seeking alms, a curious incident unfolded before us.
A frail, elderly man, hunched with age, shuffled along with the support of a cane, his hand outstretched in plea. Surprisingly, he was accompanied by a young boy, no more than five years old, guiding his steps. In a heartwarming moment, a passerby beckoned the boy and bestowed upon him fifty naira to offer to the elderly beggar. As they moved past us, the boy, unaware of scrutiny, mimed slipping the money into the old man's pocket but slyly diverted it into his own.
Swift to act, my friend rose to intercept the boy, retrieved the money from his pocket, and handed it to the elderly beggar. Grateful, the beggar expressed his thanks and revealed that this deception was not a singular occurrence with the boy. The boy's actions, at such a tender age, sparked a chilling realization...
As we mulled over this unsettling encounter, our thoughts drifted to a viral video trending in the social media depicting two boys, barely in their youth, who had lured a toddler into the wilderness and bound her. Upon their apprehension, their excuse was chilling—they claimed it was a lesson in abduction.
These disquieting incidents left us pondering the kind of youth we are nurturing in this era.
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