Wike Sets Up Task Force To Go After ‘One Chance’ Syndicate, Beggars

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has announced the commencement of a sweeping security and environmental operation aimed at clearing Abuja and its satellite towns of street beggars, illegal traders, scavengers, and other perceived social nuisances.

The initiative, named ‘Operation Sweep Abuja’, was ordered by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, in line with the Abuja Environmental Protection Act and other existing regulations.

The minister had in October 2024, asked roadside beggars in Abuja to vacate the streets within five days or face arrest.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said the operation would be carried out by a Joint Task Force comprising security agencies and relevant FCTA departments and agencies.

“In line with the Abuja Environmental Protection Act and other relevant laws, the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has directed the immediate evacuation of miscreants, street beggars, traders, scavengers and other criminal elements from the FCT,” the statement read.

The administration said the move is part of ongoing efforts to restore order, ensure public safety, and maintain the aesthetic integrity of Nigeria’s capital city.

“Our nation’s capital should be a secured symbol of pride and beauty, not a site for street beggars and scavengers, most of whom are agents of criminal elements,” the statement noted.

Olayinka explained that persons arrested during the operation would be profiled and subsequently handed over to their respective state governments.

He emphasized the government’s commitment to the safety of residents, and urged collective responsibility in making Abuja safer.

“Security of lives and properties of residents of the FCT is of paramount importance to the government. We must all join hands to achieve a safer Abuja,” he added.

The FCTA identified other targets of the crackdown to include “one chance” syndicates—criminal gangs who pose as public transporters to rob unsuspecting commuters, along with illegal street traders and loiterers.

This move comes amid increasing concerns over rising petty crimes and the proliferation of informal activities across major parts of the capital, particularly in areas like Wuse, Garki, Nyanya, and Kubwa.

While the government insisted the action is necessary to safeguard the city, human rights advocates have raised concerns about the approach and its implications for vulnerable populations, including the homeless and unemployed.

Wike Sets Up Task Force To Go After ‘One Chance’ Syndicate, Beggars is first published on The Whistler Newspaper