210 Abuja beggars DETAINED

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has apprehended 210 beggars made up of 80 men 58 women and 72 children under its Operation Sweep Abuja of miscreants, street beggars, traders, scavengers and other criminal elements, which commenced on Monday

Mrs Gloria Onwuka, acting Director, Social Welfare, Social Department Secretariat, FCTA, disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday, at the end of day four of the exercise.

Onwuka said that the operation was in line with the directive of the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike.

She explained that the 210 beggars, were camped at the Bwari Rehabilitation Centre.

The director added that scavengers, ‘one chance’ syndicate and other criminals that were apprehended were detained by the police.

She said that the beggars, who were caught in the act in different locations were being profiled and would be deported back to their various states.

The director said that some of the children begging on the streets were brought in from Kano, Katsina and other states by unidentified individuals simply to beg and hand over the proceeds to them.

She added that some of the women that were caught with children, begging on their behalf were not their biological children.

“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.

“The families they are hiring these children from don’t even know that this is what they are using their children to do.

“We have caught so many of them like that.

“Also, some of the beggars will even tie a bandage on their legs claiming injuries but it’s all lies.

“There is a woman we caught who claimed she has cancer of the breast, but when we loose the bandage, there was no single wound on her breast,” Onwuka said.

On his part, Director, Security Services Department, FCTA, Mr Damy Gwary, said that the operation had so far covered the city centre, Kubwa, Gwarimpa, Asokoro, Garki and Wuse among other locations.

NAN

Follow Us on Facebook – @LadunLiadi; Instagram – @LadunLiadi; Twitter – @LadunLiadi; Youtube – @LadunLiadiTV for updates