By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Terriory Administration (FCTA) has arrested over 150 beggars in strategic location within the Federal Capital City.
Mr Ikharo Attah, chairman of FCTA Ministerial Taskforce on city sanitation, disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists after a combined operations with key agencies, yesterday.
He said the arrest was part of the Administration’s renewed commitment to rid the Federal Capital City (FCC) of nuisance to enhance security in the territory.
Attah explained that the FCT Administration discovered that the activities of beggars was alarming, especially as the insecurity was on the increase across the country.
“In the last two days over 150 beggars have been apprehended across the city and more arrest is still going on,” Attah said.
He explained that those apprehended were taken to the Bwari Area Council Center for Rehabilitation, adding that FCT have a functional rehabilitation and training centre for such persons.
“Sadly, very few of them stay there and get full rehabilitation, while many others find their way to run and sometimes they request to be allow to go back to their states.
“But what is very fundamental and cardinal some of this persons are being brought by other persons into the FCT. You will see young people guarding blind aged men, we felt that is not what the city should be.
” We also felt for them that is why the FCTA is investing resources to train them. However, we are targeting very strongly the syndicate that always bring them to into Abuja in large number from states across the country.
” We realized that the syndicate drop them at strategic positions in town to make money for them. FCT is going all out to get them and ensure that they are prosecuted.
On his part, Mr Kaka Bello, Head of Monitoring and Inspection, AEPB, said begging was nuisance related, adding that AEPB was determined to rid the city of all kinds of environmental nuisance.
He explained that the activities of beggars was a kind of nuisance that was suppose to be abated, assuring that the operation would be sustain.
