The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), through its Social Development Secretariat, has apprehended 210 beggars across Abuja as part of efforts to curb rising crime linked to street begging.
The arrests were made under the ongoing “Operation Sweep Abuja Clean” initiative, according to the Acting Director of the Social Welfare Department, Gloria Onwuka. She made the disclosure on Thursday, July 10, while presenting the detained individuals at the Vocational and Rehabilitation Centre in Bwari, FCT.
Onwuka stated that those arrested include 58 women, 72 children, and 80 men, many of whom are suspected of being involved in various criminal activities. She explained that the crackdown followed numerous public complaints and a directive from the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who ordered intensified operations against individuals without verifiable means of livelihood or accommodation.
“Every day, we receive complaints about incidents ranging from ‘one chance’ robberies and kidnappings to other criminal activities in the FCT,” Onwuka said. “The Minister directed us to act decisively.”
She further revealed disturbing trends uncovered during the operation, including organized begging syndicates. “Some beggars go as far as renting children to solicit alms. There are even families known to hire out their children for this purpose. It has become a commercial enterprise,” she added.
According to Onwuka, many of the individuals detained are brought into Abuja from other states daily, often in the early hours, and then vanish by nightfall. She cited an incident involving a woman who claimed to be battling breast cancer, only for officials to discover the claim was false upon inspection.
Another alarming case involved a man caught at 2 a.m. in possession of a machete, a POS device, and multiple ATM cards. “Their method is to threaten victims after forcing them to withdraw money using a card that matches their bank,” she said.
Director of the FCTA Security Services Department, Adamu Gwary, represented by Dr. Peter Olumuji, emphasized the security risks posed by the arrested individuals.
“We believe many of those detained have been involved in varying degrees of criminal activity. Their presence has raised serious safety concerns among residents,” Gwary noted. “The Minister has instructed the Commissioner of Police and other relevant agencies to ensure the FCT is cleared of these security threats.”
Authorities confirmed that the operation will continue until the streets of Abuja are free of beggars and associated criminal elements.
