Some of the arrested suspects in Abuja
By EMMANUEL KUJE, Abuja-
No fewer than 210 beggars in Abuja have been arrested by the FCTA in its ongoing Operation Sweep Abuja, aimed at ridding the city of miscreants, street beggars, traders, scavengers, and other criminal elements.
The operation, which commenced on Monday, has seen the detention of 80 men, 58 women, and 72 children, who are currently camped at the Bwari Rehabilitation Centre.
Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Acting Director, Social Welfare, Social Department Secretariat, FCTA, Mrs. Gloria Onwuka, disclosed this while addressing news on Thursday in Abuja.
Begging run like a business
Mrs. Onwuka, revealed that begging has become a lucrative business, with some individuals hiring children from other states to beg on their behalf.
“Begging is now run like a business. People will go and hire people’s children from other states, put them in vehicles very early in the morning, come to Abuja and start begging,” she said.
Onwuka added that some of the women caught begging with children were not their biological children, and some beggars would even tie bandages on their legs, claiming injuries, when in fact, there were no wounds.
“There is a woman we caught who claimed she has cancer of the breast, but when we loosened the bandage, there was no single wound on her breast,” she said.
*“Operation to Continue”*
The Director, Security Services Department, FCTA, Mr. Damy Gwary, stated that the operation had covered various locations, including city centre, Kubwa, Gwarimpa, Asokoro, Garki, and Wuse, among others.
He emphasized that the activities of beggars, scavengers, and other criminal elements pose security threats and constitute a nuisance in the city.
Gwary added that the FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike, had directed the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to tackle all forms of security threats across the territory.
“The operation would continue as long as security threats exist in the FCT,” he said.
