Insecurity: FCTA Begins Raids On Beggers, Scavengers Colonies

By: Wisdom Acka

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced the arrest and evacuation of beggars and scavengers across the Abuja metropolis.

Accordingly, 19 scavengers and 15 beggars were, on Monday, so far arrested across Abuja by authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and security operatives.

This exercise followed a stern warning and directive issued last week by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, that his Administration would begin removing beggers and scavangers from the Federal Capital City, Abuja.

Wike, had disclosed that security reports continue to finger those claiming to be beggers and scavangers as informants, who collaborate with criminals to wreck havoc on unsuspecting residents and visitors.

The operation, which comprises of the Nigeria Police Force, the Military, Department of State Security (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), among others, were deployed in four groups across the city centre, in search of beggars, scavengers and miscreants known to hibernating under bridges and tunnels.

Addressing the operatives before deployment, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, described the task as “a national assignment”; instructing officers involved in the enforcement to be professional, but uncompromising in carrying out the Ministerial orders.

Disu noted that the operations would last for two weeks, after which the strategies would be re-evaluated and re-invigorated.

His words: “This operation will last for the first two weeks. We will come back and assess our performance, then we will go back if there is a need for us to continue it.”

On his part, the Director, Department of Security Services, FCTA, Adamu Gwari, stated that the operations would be conducted day and night in order to achieve the desired results.

The Director, who was represented by the Department’s Head of Command and Control, Dr. Peter Olumuji, explained that the first day operations had four groups for four sectors.

“We have the metro, which is the city centre. We have the Airport road that covers the entire Airport road from city gate up to Bill Clinton Way. We also have the Kubwa axis that covers the Kubwa, Gwarimpa up to Dei-Dei. And we have the last group that covers Asokoro, AYA, Nyanya, Karu, Jikwoyi. All these operations will be carried out simultaneously,” the Director explained.

He disclosed that while no beggar was arrested in the city centre, because they have all gone into hiding, he however, stated that the Enforcement Team successfully arrested 15 beggars and 19 scavengers from other locations.

“We realized that most of them actually heard the message of the Minister. Notwithstanding, we have one or two that are still trying to test the waters and we have been able to apprehend them. We also have 15 beggars and 19 scavengers that we have picked up in various sectors and we are still counting”, he added.

Also speaking, Head of Enforcement, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEBP), Kaka Bello, said that the operations was not just about beggars, but also about environmental sanitation of the city centre.

Bello noted that roadside traders and all technicians, who operate at all illegal places would be visited and evacuated during this Ministerial Operations in Abuja.

On what becomes the fate of those arrested, the Director, Social Welfare, FCTA, Dr. Sani Rabe, said they would be taken to government’s rehabilitation center located at Kuchikon, Bwari Area Council, where they would be properly profiled.

According to him, those who are trainable would be given the opportunity to learn some skills for personal empowerment, while those who are not willing to acquire skills would be repatriated to their states of origin.