The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has removed 607 beggars and mentally challenged individuals from the streets of Abuja from July 2025 to date, in an ongoing effort to improve security and public order in the city.
The Head of Enforcement at the FCT Social Development Secretariat (SDS), Mrs. Ukachi Adebayo, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday. She said the operation was carried out by the Operation Sweep Abuja Clean team.
“Out of the 607 persons evacuated, 583 were beggars while 23 were mentally challenged individuals,” Adebayo said. She explained that those apprehended are counselled, profiled, and returned to their respective states in collaboration with state governments through liaison offices.
“What we do when we apprehend them is to counsel them, profile them, and then return them to their states where they are expected to undergo rehabilitation,” she said.
Acknowledging that some beggars and mentally challenged persons often return to the streets, Adebayo emphasized that the operation is ongoing. “The more you take them out, the more they resurface. Some flee insecurity in their home states and come to Abuja, but we will continue to apprehend and return them,” she added.
Similarly, Acting Director of Social Welfare at SDS, Mrs. Gloria Onwuka, revealed that some children begging on the streets are brought in by unidentified individuals, who collect the proceeds. She also noted that some women begging with children are not the children’s biological mothers.
“Begging is now run like a business. People hire children from other states, bring them to Abuja early in the morning to beg, and keep the money. The families often don’t know this is happening,” Onwuka said.
The Secretary of the FCTA Command and Control Centre, Dr. Peter Olumuji, described Operation Sweep as a joint security initiative involving all relevant FCT agencies and security personnel. Instituted by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, the operation targets beggars, scavengers, miscreants, and other criminal elements.
“Beggars pose security risks and constitute a nuisance in the city. Some serve as informants to criminals, while others become victims of kidnapping for rituals and other criminal purposes,” Olumuji said.
NAN recalls that in October 2024, Minister Wike declared a crackdown on beggars, warning that Abuja was at risk of becoming a “beggars’ city.” He urged families to help address the issue and noted that some individuals posing as beggars are actually criminals.
“We have declared war on beggars to ensure maximum security, so residents can sleep peacefully,” Wike said.
The FCTA stressed that the operation is ongoing and that efforts to maintain public safety, order, and the aesthetic appeal of Abuja will continue.
NAN
