Panic and speculation have gripped Zaria, Kaduna State, after a viral video surfaced showing a man collapsing into unconsciousness moments after handing a N100 note to a female beggar.
The footage, which began circulating online shows sympathizers lifting the motionless body of the unidentified man while others shout for help.
He was rushed to an undisclosed hospital within the metropolis where medical personnel are said to be battling to stabilize him. As of press time, his condition remained critical, according to eyewitnesses.
In the same video, officers of the Kaduna State Police Command were seen forming a human shield around the beggar, preventing an angry crowd from assaulting her. Her clothes had already been torn by some residents who accused her of “spiritual attack” immediately after the man slumped.
At the scene, several onlookers voiced fear and suspicion, warning others about giving alms indiscriminately.
“we saw it with our own eyes. The man just gave her N100, she collected it, muttered something, and before he could turn back, he started shaking and fell.. You don’t know who is human and who is not”.
Another symphatizer said: “How can ordinary N100 put a strong man in coma? Government should clear these beggars from the road. Today it is him, tomorrow it could be another person. Let us help people we know, not just anybody.”
A third sympathizer, added: “The police did well by saving that woman, because people were ready to burn her. But truth is, there is too much ‘asiri’ in this town now. My advice is simple if you want to give alms, give it in the mosque or church, or to people your family knows. The street is dangerous.”
The viral clip clearly shows two armed policemen struggling to hold back youths who had already torn the woman’s wrapper and were attempting to beat her. One officer is heard shouting: “Don’t touch her! Let’s go to the station!”
The woman, appearing dazed, was eventually whisked into a police van. Her whereabouts and identity remain unknown.
The video has reignited debate on street begging, urban security, and the tension between cultural beliefs and public health.