As part of a renewed initiative to eliminate street beggars and homeless individuals in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has detained 210 people, citing worries about increasing criminal activity.
Gloria Onwuka, the Acting Director of the Social Welfare Department, announced this on Thursday during a press briefing at the Vocational and Rehabilitation Centre in Bwari where arrested individuals are being processed.
She stated that the crackdown, which is part of the ongoing "Operation Sweep Abuja Clean" initiative, resulted in the arrest of 80 men, 58 women, and 72 children.
Onwuka disclosed that the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, had ordered an intensified operation due to numerous public complaints associating street begging with crimes like abductions and fraud.
"Every day, complaints pour in about various issues—One-chance incidents, kidnappings, and all sorts of malevolent activities in the FCT. In response to this situation, the minister instructed us to eliminate these problems," she explained.
She also revealed that some people involved in street begging even go to the extent of renting children to gain sympathy from the public.
"Many beggars resort to hiring other people's children to solicit on the streets. Some families who rent out their children may not even be aware that this is how they are being used," she remarked.
"They have turned it into a business. They hire people from other states, transport them in vehicles, and arrive in Abuja early in the morning to beg. By evening or nighttime, they vanish," she explained.
Onwuka shared a particular incident of deception involving a woman who falsely claimed to have breast cancer. "We encountered this woman who said she had cancer in her breast, but when the bandage was removed, there wasn't any wound at all."
She also mentioned a troubling incident where a man was discovered carrying weapons along with several ATM cards and a POS machine.
"There was an incident where our officers, during a nighttime patrol at 2am, apprehended someone. He was found carrying a machete along with POS devices and various bank ATM cards. When they catch anyone like this, they'll ask you to identify your own bank card from the collection. If you're unable to do so correctly, they threaten violence using the machete."
She stressed that the operation would persist until the streets of Abuja are free from beggars and unauthorized street occupants.
Additionally addressing the issue, Adamu Gwary, Director of the FCTA Security Services Department, highlighted that those apprehended present major security threats. Speaking through his representative Peter Olumuji, he conveyed worries regarding the criminal behavior linked to street begging.
"We hope to believe that the majority of those arrested have been involved in various crimes and activities within the nation's capital," Gwary stated.
He added, "The security issues caused by these nuisances in the FCT have become a significant concern for residents. The Minister has instructed the Commissioner of Police and all relevant agencies to ensure that these threats are eliminated from the area."
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