The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has removed 607 beggars and mentally challenged persons from the streets of Abuja between July 2025 and January 2026, as part of efforts to improve security and restore order in the capital.
The Head of Enforcement at the FCT Social Development Secretariat, Mrs Ukachi Adebayo, disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria. She said the exercise was carried out by the Operation Sweep Abuja Clean team.
According to her, 583 of those evacuated were beggars, while 23 were persons with mental health challenges.
All affected individuals were counselled, profiled, and returned to their respective states through state liaison offices for rehabilitation.
Adebayo noted that many of the evacuees often return to the streets due to insecurity and hardship in their home states, but assured that the operation would continue.
Similarly, the Acting Director of Social Welfare, Mrs Gloria Onwuka, revealed that street begging has become an organised activity, with some individuals bringing children from other states to beg, sometimes without the knowledge of their families. She added that several women arrested with children were not their biological mothers.
The Secretary of the FCTA Command and Control Centre, Dr Peter Olumuji, explained that Operation Sweep is a joint security task force established by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to rid Abuja of beggars, miscreants, scavengers, and criminal elements.
Olumuji warned that beggars often pose security risks, sometimes acting as informants for criminals, while also exposing themselves to kidnapping and ritual-related crimes.
The FCT Minister had earlier declared a war on street begging, stressing that the initiative was necessary to protect residents and preserve the image of Nigeria’s capital city.
