FCTA BEGINS STREET DECONGESTION, EVACUATES 607 BEGGARS IN ABUJA
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By: Fasasi Hammad
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has removed 607 beggars and mentally challenged individuals from the streets of Abuja between July 2025 and January 2026.
Mrs. Ukachi Adebayo, Head of Enforcement at the FCT Social Development Secretariat (SDS), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday that the exercise was conducted by the Operation Sweep Abuja Clean team.
Of those evacuated, 583 were beggars, while 23 were mentally challenged individuals. They were counselled, profiled, and returned to their respective states through liaison offices in collaboration with state governments.
“What we do when we apprehend them is to counsel and profile them before returning them to their states for rehabilitation,” Adebayo explained. She noted, however, that many often return to Abuja’s streets due to insecurity in their home states. “The more you take them out, the more they resurface, but we will continue this operation,” she said.
Mrs. Gloria Onwuka, Acting Director of Social Welfare at SDS, added that some children begging on Abuja streets were trafficked from other states by unknown individuals who kept the proceeds. She also revealed that some women caught with children were not their biological mothers.
“Begging has become a business. Children are hired from other states, brought to Abuja, and made to beg. The families often have no idea,” she said.
Dr. Peter Olumuji, Secretary of the FCTA Command and Control Centre, described Operation Sweep as a joint security effort involving FCT agencies and security operatives. He explained that the initiative, launched under FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, targets beggars, scavengers, and other criminal elements, who pose security risks, serve as informants to criminals, and sometimes become victims of kidnapping or ritual attacks.
“Beggars not only threaten security but also deface the beauty of the city. We will continue to apprehend them wherever they resurface,” Olumuji said.
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The move aligns with Minister Wike’s October 2024 declaration of a crackdown on beggars in Abuja, aimed at preventing the city from becoming overrun. Wike warned that some street beggars may actually be criminals in disguise and emphasized that the operation seeks to ensure the safety and comfort of residents.
“Abuja cannot continue to be a city defined by beggars. Anyone with relatives on the streets should take responsibility, because we are committed to removing them,” he said.
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