The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has ordered a comprehensive crackdown on street beggars, scavengers, illegal traders, and criminal syndicates operating across Abuja.
In a statement released on Wednesday by Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister, the FCT administration has launched "Operation Sweep Abuja Clean" to restore order and security to Nigeria's capital city.
"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 and traders, scavengers and other criminal elements from the FCT," the statement read.
Wike emphasized that Abuja, as Nigeria's capital, should represent national pride and beauty rather than becoming a haven for individuals engaged in activities that compromise public safety and urban aesthetics.
"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 continued.
To implement this directive, a Joint Task Force comprising security agencies and relevant FCT departments has been deployed to apprehend individuals found begging, scavenging, loitering, or engaging in activities deemed harmful to residents' well-being.
The administration has made arrangements to profile apprehended individuals and hand them over to their respective state governments of origin.
"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," the statement emphasized.
The FCT administration has also called on residents to play an active role in maintaining community safety by reporting suspicious activities to designated hotlines: 08061581938 or 08032003913.
This initiative comes as part of broader efforts to enhance security and improve the living conditions in Nigeria's administrative capital, addressing growing concerns about urban disorder and criminal activities that have affected residents' quality of life.
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