LIFESTYLE Culture

FCTA clamp down on beggars over suspected criminal activities.

by admin on | 2025-07-14 13:09:45

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FCTA clamp down on beggars over suspected criminal activities.


By Abdullahi Muhammad

Abuja

The Social Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has said that over 210 beggars suspected to be criminals so far have been arrested 210 beggars in Abuja.

The Acting Director of the department, Gloria Onwuka disclosed this when she took the apprehended beggars to the Vocational and Rehabilitation Centre in Bwari on Thursday.

She revealed that out of those arrested in continuation of its 'operation sweep Abuja clean' 58 women, 72 children and 80 men.

The director explained that due to outcry over criminal activities, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike had directed officials of the department to step up arrest of unhoused persons.

She said,"Every day you receive complaints about one thing or the other,
One -chance, kidnapping, all manner of evil things in FCT. So the minister directed us to do away with all those things.

"Most of the beggars go even to the extent of hiring people's children to come on the road and be begging. And there are families where they are hiring these children, we don't even know that this is what they are using their children to do.

"They have taken it as a business. They will now go and hire people from other states, put them in vehicle, very early in the morning, they will come in Abuja and start begging. By evening or in the nighttime, they will disappear.

"There is a woman we caught, she now said that she has cancer at the breast.
So by the time they loosen the bandage, there was no single wound at her breast.

"The one chance issue, there is one that our officers, our people, picked at night by 2am. He was carrying a machete with POS and different bank ATMs . The time they pick anybody, they will now ask you, which one is your bank? They will give you the card of your own bank, you press,If you fail, they use that machete and do away with you.

"We have arrested 80 men since the commencement of the exercise, the women are 58 while the children are 72 in number. The exercise will continue untill Abuja streets are free of beggars"

On security, the Director FCTA Security Services Department, Adamu Gwary said those arrested were constituting degrees of crime in the territory.

Adamu Gwary represented by Peter Olumuji, said activities of the beggars was a threat to security of the residents.

He said, "We want to believe that most of the people arrested, they have constituted degrees of crime and other things in the nation's capital.

"The security concern of most of these nuisances within the FCT have become a source of great worry to the residents. And the Minister has given that directive to the Commission of Police and all other relevant agencies to ensure that the FCT is rid of all these security threats" Gwary said.