Insecurity : FCTA arrests over 150 beggars in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has arrested over 150 rampaging street beggars in Abuja.

The beggars and other destitute, who were arrested at various locations on Sunday by the Enforcement Squad of the Social Development Secretariat (SDS), were mainly women, children and aged men.

It was learnt that the numbers of beggars surge on the streets during the Ramadan period, as many of them believe that more rich people show more benevolence.

The Secretary Social Development Secretariat (SDS), Hadiza Kabir, said the Secretariat would profile and repatriate the beggars to their various states of origin.

Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister, on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah, noted the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu has given indications that FCT would collaborate with various states government in the repatriation of the arrested beggars.

Attah said: “During the month of Ramadan when most of Muslim brothers and sisters are devoting themselves to the service of Almighty Allah, we saw excessive beggars from across the country flooding into FCT so we had to move them off the streets, sensitive areas where they gather in large numbers to beg for alms, and in the process they disturb people and the complaints came in, and we moved in and cleared them in a friendly manner that most of them very happy about.

“We are promising that we will take them back to their respective states, so that they would actually leave the streets. But with the pardon by the Honourable Minister of State it is now left for them to vacate the streets,” he said. (New Telegraph)