As the directive given to the beggars to leave Abuja streets ended on Sunday, the FCT Administration on Monday began a massive clampdown on them, the scavengers and other destitute persons.
Our correspondent, who followed the enforcement team, reports that not less than 15 beggars and 19 scavengers were arrested during the operation.
The operation with a combined team of the police, military, DSS, NSCDC and other paramilitary agencies were deployed in four groups to different locations at the city centre in search of beggars and miscreants, who were living under the bridges and tunnels.
The FCT Police Commissioner, Olatunji Disu, who termed the operation as “a national assignment,” directed that officers involved in the enforcement must be professional and uncompromising in carrying out the ministerial orders.
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Disu noted that the operation would last two weeks, after which the strategies would be reevaluated.
“We will come back and assess our achievements, then we will go back if there is a need for us to continue,” he added.
Speaking on the first day of the operation, the Director, FCT Security Services Department, Adamu Gwari, said the operations would be conducted day and night in order to achieve the desired results.
The Director, who was represented by Dr. Peter Olumuji, explained the four groups the team was devolved into.
“We have the metro, which is the city centre. We have the airport road that covers the entire airport road from city gates up to Bill Clinton road. 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. The groups carried out the operation simultaneously,” he added.
He disclosed that while no beggar was arrested in the city centre because they had all gone into hiding, 15 of them and 19 scavengers were arrested in different locations.
He said, “We realized that most of them have actually heard the voice of the minister. Notwithstanding, we have one or two that are still trying to test the water 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.”
Also speaking, the Head of Enforcement, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEBP), Kaka Bello, said the operation was not just about beggars, but sanitising the city of every nuisance.
Bello noted that roadside traders and all technicians who operate at all illegal places would be touched and evacuated during the operation.
The Director, Social Welfare in the FCTA, Dr. Sani Rabe, said the arrested beggars would be taken to the government’s rehabilitation centre located at Kuchikon in 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.
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