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ABUJA – In a determined move to restore order in Abuja, enforcement teams acting on directives from Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, launched a city-wide operation, arresting 15 beggars and 19 scavengers on Monday.
The initiative aims to clear out miscreants, including beggars and scavengers, from under bridges and tunnels across the capital.
The extensive operation was spearheaded by the FCT Police Commissioner, Olatunji Disu, who addressed combined forces from the Police, Military, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other paramilitary agencies.
Disu, describing the operation as a “national assignment,” instructed officers to maintain professionalism while upholding the Ministerial directive uncompromisingly.
“This operation will last for the first two weeks,” he noted. “We will assess our achievements afterwards and determine if it needs to continue.”
According to Adamu Gwari, Director of the FCTA Security Services Department, the operations, conducted both day and night, covered four main sectors: the city centre, airport road, Kubwa and Gwarimpa areas, and the Asokoro-Nyanya-Karu corridor.
The first day yielded the arrest of 15 beggars and 19 scavengers, though many had reportedly gone into hiding following the Minister’s warning.
Head of Enforcement at the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Kaka Bello, stressed that the sweep extended beyond beggars but to eliminate nuisances across the city.
He highlighted that illegal street trading and unlicensed technicians would also be targeted in this two-week initiative.
Dr. Sani Rabe, Director of Social Welfare at the FCTA, provided insights on the fate of those arrested.
According to Rabe, they will be taken to a government rehabilitation centre in Kuchikon, Bwari Area Council, where they will undergo profiling.
Those willing to learn vocational skills will receive training, while others will be repatriated to their home states.
As the FCT moves forward with its clean-up strategy, officials hope this approach will lead to a more organized and orderly capital, setting an example of compliance and discipline in public spaces.
