The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike, has launched a coordinated enforcement campaign to eliminate street begging, illegal trading, scavenging, and criminal activity across Abuja and its satellite towns. The operation, officially titled “Operation Sweep Abuja of Miscreants, Street Beggars/Traders, Scavengers and Other Criminal Elements,” is already underway.
This was made known in a statement issued by Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister. According to the statement, the new effort is in strict adherence to the Abuja Environmental Protection Act and other relevant legal frameworks guiding public safety and sanitation within the territory.
The Minister has directed the immediate evacuation of individuals considered to be constituting a social menace—namely, miscreants, street beggars, roadside traders, scavengers, and others involved in activities believed to endanger the safety and orderliness of the FCT.
“Abuja, as the nation’s capital, must reflect dignity, safety, and beauty,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, it is being undermined by the growing presence of beggars, scavengers, and other criminally inclined individuals, many of whom act as fronts for larger syndicates.”
To tackle this challenge, a joint task force made up of various security agencies and departments within the FCT Administration has been mobilized to identify and apprehend offenders engaged in street begging, scavenging, loitering, and other acts disruptive to the public space.
As part of the enforcement strategy, the task force will profile those arrested and repatriate them to their respective home states for appropriate action.
The FCT Administration reaffirmed its strong commitment to safeguarding the lives and property of Abuja residents, calling on the public to support the initiative in the collective effort to maintain peace, cleanliness, and security in the capital city.
