Wike’s Bold Campaign to Tidy Up Abuja’s Streets

A new chapter is being written on the streets of the capital city of Nigeria. Not by the beggars who persistently tap at tinted windows at every intersection or the hawkers who swerve across traffic hawking bottled water and gala, but by an administration committed to restoring the city’s honor, one street at a time.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, who is renowned for his tough stance and uncompromising attitude to maintaining urban order, is at the center of this movement. His goal is clear this time: Abuja will no longer serve as the “capital of beggars” in Nigeria.

“War Has Been Declared” At the flag-off of an access road to the Judges’ Quarters in Katampe, a vow was made that broke through the din of construction. Wike didn’t hold back when surrounded by security chiefs and dignitaries.

He said, “Abuja is becoming a city of beggars.” Tell your siblings to leave right away if you know they are begging here. We’ll be taking them out starting next week. We’ve declared war.

According to the Minister, street begging is a cover for exploitation and crime rather than charity. Syndicates have been exploiting Nigeria’s poorest citizens for years by smuggling children from distant areas and dropping them off at crossroads in Abuja, from Gwarimpa to Asokoro. Authorities think that some beggars serve as spies for “one chance” thieves and pickpockets.

“When people enter our capital, they see beggars lining up at every intersection, which is embarrassing,” Wike added. There are criminals among them. Some people feign illness. We won’t permit it.

As promised, the operation got underway before the fallout from his speech had subsided. As part of what has come to be known as Operation Sweep Abuja Clean, police trucks and paramilitary convoys began to roll out throughout the city on Monday.

With the support of teams from the Department of State Service (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Military Police, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), and other organizations, former Commissioner of Police Olatunji Disu is spearheading the effort. Their brief? Easy: comb every nook and cranny.

At morning, Disu informed his soldiers, “We will search every black spot, every bridge, and every hideout for the first two weeks.”

Even seasoned officers were taken aback by the numbers four days later: 210 beggars in jail, 58 women, 72 children, and 80 men. The sight where the arrested were bussed into the FCT Vocational and Rehabilitation Centre in Kuchikon, Bwari Area Council, was a clear example of a long-standing issue exposed.

The effects of decades of poverty and neglect are clearly seen at the FCT Vocational and Rehabilitation Centre in Kuchikon, Bwari. Every day, buses pull up, carrying rag-clad men and women, infants clutching weary moms, and wide-eyed kids who are unable to identify the places from whence they originated.

Gloria Onwuka, Acting Director of the Social Welfare Department, saw the processing of new arrivals and remarked, “What we found is even worse than we thought.”

Parents in rural villages hired out a large number of the youngsters. Some ladies pretend to be ill. At the end of the day, some syndicates get the money. This is a case of organized exploitation.

A 9-year-old boy told a volunteer that he was from Kano, but he was unable to identify the particular location. He muttered, “A man takes us in a bus.” “He says we won’t eat if we don’t have a lot of money.”

Onwuka disclosed that the majority of the kids were employed. We found that some families do, in fact, hire out their children. At daybreak, syndicates transport the youngsters into Abuja, drop them off at roundabouts to beg, then drive into villages, paying the parents a few thousand naira. At night, they disappear once more.

She remembers a specific woman who wanted money for surgery after claiming to have breast cancer. Nothing happened when our female officers untied the bandage. Not a single scratch.

There have long been rumors among the locals that minor criminality and street begging are related. Tomorrow, the beggar tapping your window today might be a pickpocket.

Adamu Gwary, Director of FCT Security Services, stated, “We think many are connected to petty theft, ‘one chance,’ and other crimes. These individuals take advantage of the city’s compassion.”

At the Kuchikon center, Gwary, who was represented by Dr. Peter Olumuji, Secretary of the FCT Command and Control Center, also didn’t hold back. The Minister issued a clear directive because of this: this city needs to be safe. It won’t simply be talk this time.

However, there are many who oppose the crackdown. Residents at one of the busiest intersections in the city, Berger Junction, feel conflicted.

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“Two times, I have been robbed by boys who pose as begging,” government servant Mrs. Elizabeth Ikenna claimed. “I wholeheartedly endorse the Minister. This absurdity needs to end.

However, taxi driver Usman Sule sees another side. Yes, some people are criminals. Some, however, are simply hungry. What happens to them if you arrest them?

This delicate balance between law enforcement and compassion will determine whether Wike’s large wager is successful.

The FCT claims that this operation is different from previous ones that merely put individuals onto buses and deposited them at state boundaries.

Social Welfare Director Dr. Sani Rabe is adamant that rehabilitation and reintegration be part of the agenda.

He clarified, “Vocational training will be provided here to those who are willing to learn.” If we can, we’ll track down their family. A few will be sent back to their home states. It’s complicated, though. Some people have no family left, and many don’t want to return home.

In order to prevent repatriated beggars from relocating on newly constructed buses, the FCTA is also communicating with states.

Wike’s campaign against urban disorder includes street begging as one component. They target unpainted cabs, scavengers carrying carts through estates, and illegal roadside mechanics.

As he watched the dismantling of temporary mechanic sheds beneath the Garki flyover, Kaka Bello, Head of Enforcement at AEPB, remarked, “We cannot call ourselves the seat of government and look like a slum.”

The largest democracy in Africa has its capital here. It must appear to be one.

Another front opened as steam accumulated from the street sweep. For traffic infractions, unregistered plates, or helping criminals, more than 280 automobiles, tricycles, and commercial motorcycles have been impounded.

Dr. Olumuji stated, “Taxis operating without colors or number plates are being pulled off the roads.” These vehicles are frequently utilized in “one chance” robberies. We’re also shutting that down.

The police, VIO, and traffic agencies in the FCT have made it plain that without documentation, a vehicle cannot be operated.

Locals claim to have already noticed improvements. The always crowded Wuse Market and Gwarinpa Bridge are strikingly deserted.

“Criminals are finding Abuja too hot,” Olumuji stated. “A city where law-abiding citizens feel safe and criminals have nowhere to hide is exactly what the Minister wants.”

Abuja has attempted this before, of course. The streets were temporarily cleared by sweeps under previous ministers. However, the issues of poverty, conflict in the hinterlands, and systemic corruption kept coming up.

Wike has instructed his team, “We have to do it right this time.” “We have to keep it going, fix the real cases, and bring the syndicates to justice. There is no other option.

Even though “Operation Sweep Abuja Clean” is only a few weeks old, its message is clear: Nigeria’s capital will not cede its honor to urban deterioration, street syndicates, or small-time criminals.

What happens next—jobs for the desperate, assistance for the weak, and the political will to stick with it—will determine whether this most recent effort is a footnote in the city’s cycle of crackdowns or the start of significant change.

The trucks continue to roll for the time being. Checkpoints are still in place. And every raid carries the word from the top: under Wike’s leadership, Abuja would no longer serve as the capital of the beggars.

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