Nigerians Reacts As Wike Declares Total War On Beggars In FCT, Abuja

The minister Nyesom Wike’s recent declaration of war on beggars in the Federal Capital Territory, or FCT, is receiving mixed responses from Nigerians especially when the North.

The minister said during the official start of construction of the access road from the Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway by N16 to Judges Quarters in Abuja’s Katampe District that the move was necessary due to concerns that the city was becoming a beggar’s city.

“Let me say it very clearly right now: we have declared war on beggars because Abuja is returning to the city of beggars.

“You have a brother who is a beggar on the road if you know you have a sister; do something because we will carry them beginning next week; They will be removed from the city by us.

It is embarrassing for visitors to Abuja to encounter beggars on the road as their first sight.

“Beg and remain in your state. The center of beggars cannot be FCT. We only have this city to showcase to the world. We won’t let it happen.

“If you want to beg, leave the city center and go to the villages. We are prepared for criminals and the city must be clean,” he added.

According to DAILY POST’s findings, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, or FCTA, has waged war on begging before.

The FCTA returned 217 street beggars, street boys, and vagabonds to their home states in April 2023.

They were said to be returning primarily to the states of Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Jigawa, Kano, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kebbi at the time, according to the FCTA.

Prior to that, the FCTA’s enforcement squad made arrests of more than 150 beggars, who were said to be primarily elderly men, children, and women.

The order to arrest helpless Nigerians in the FCT was strongly condemned by the FCT chapter of the African Action Congress, AAC, in response to Wike’s threat. They blamed President Bola Tinubu’s government and economic policies, which have caused the average Nigerian untold hardship.

In a statement, Agena Robert Ande, Chairman of the AAC FCT, stated that the FCT administration’s order demonstrates that the government is out of touch with the economic realities Nigerians face.

The FCT Minister’s order to detain helpless Nigerians in the FCT is strongly condemned by the African Action Congress (AAC) FCT Chapter.

“The government’s disconnection from the harsh realities Nigerians face is evident in this draconian directive. He stated, “The label (beggars) applied to these Nigerians is first and foremost a stigma that is not intended to be promoted by any reasonable government.”

In a similar vein, the Socio-Economic Rights Accountability Project (SERAP) made the threat of filing a lawsuit against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, if he did not withdraw the ultimatum that he gave to beggars in the Federal Capital Territory.

SERAP urged the minister to provide opportunities to assist the beggars in rebuilding their lives in a post on its official X handle, stating that no one should be punished for their socioeconomic status.

If the minister carried out the threat, the group stated that it would not hesitate to sue him.

“Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, must immediately withdraw his illegal threat to arrest beggars in Abuja or face legal action. Neither one’s social or economic status nor their participation in life-sustaining economic activities should be grounds for criminal prosecution.

“Mr. Wike should give beggars the chance to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into society while respecting their dignity and human rights, rather than arresting them and cracking down on them.

“Mr. Wike ought to begin immediately addressing the underlying causes of poverty and the violations of the economic and social rights of particularly marginalized individuals in Abuja.”

According to the post, “Mr. Wike must address the plight of those experiencing homelessness and poverty in Abuja and not demonize and criminalize them.”

The Long Term Solution for Destitute Initiative, a non-governmental organization, urged President Bola Tinubu to warn the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Neysom Wike, about the ultimatum given to beggars to leave the streets of Abuja. The Chairman of the group, Saleh Ibrahim, said in a statement that street begging is an embarrassment to any society that creates the conditions for the growth and development of such poor and vulnerable people.

“Despite our privilege of holding political power for the longest time, I am particularly embarrassed by the fact that Northerners dominate the population of beggars in the country.

It is a symbol of shame. Begging is forbidden and discouraged in Islam. Pride is destroyed when one begs. It damages one’s self-esteem.

“General Hassan Usman Katsina strongly discouraged begging in his final interview with the BBC Hausa Service shortly before his death.

However, despite our praise for the FCT Minister’s “courage,” we should not overlook the human rights aspect of the issue. A complex issue should not be treated superficially.

“Usually, a bad situation gets worse when public policy is treated superficially. He stated, “Wike was not the first Minister to expel beggars.”

The Arewa Youths for Peaceful Coexistence stated that the decision did not target northerners in response to the beggars’ ultimatum from the FCT minister.

The group issued a statement in which it pleaded with northern religious, political, and traditional leaders to refrain from criticizing the minister for taking bold action to eliminate criminals from the FCT.

The group stated that, in addition to posing security risks to the nation’s capital, begging in Abuja, which spans all ethnic nationalities in the country, has grown into a huge industry that should not be encouraged.

The following was a portion of the statement: “The Arewa Youths for Peaceful Coexistence has been drawn to the recent attacks on the Hon. Following the removal of beggars from Abuja, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (F.C.T.)

“The Hon.’s decision to Therefore, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory’s decision to get rid of beggars in Abuja is a plausible development that will improve security, status, and decency standards within and around the Federal Capital Territory. It should not be interpreted as an effort to harm or denigrate any particular group of people in society.

Some of the beggars complained to DAILY POST about the “hard treatment” they received from FCT minister Nyesom Wike.

Before threatening to expel them from the FCT, Abdalla Nuru questioned whether the government had made any provisions for them and stated that their future is uncertain.

He stated that they lack alternatives and take no pleasure in their work.

Despite the fact that they had no intention of becoming begging, Nuru lamented the way some people treat them and added that it can happen to anyone who is still alive.

He says that for their survival, they rely on the kindness of strangers. He also says that because of the economy, they may starve if there is no other option.

“What have we done? “, he asked. We do not intend to find ourselves in this predicament. Anyone who is still alive is susceptible to it. Some people flee when they see us approaching.

No one wants to sit close to us in public transportation vehicles. You see, some people believe that they will become blind simply by interacting with me.

We are dependent on my begging income. My family and I will have to remain at home and wait for death due to the current economic climate, in which there is no food and people are suffering. No food.

I forget I’m blind because I can knit very well. Instead of detaining and arresting us, the government ought to empower us. He stated, “We have many of us who are gifted.”

Another beggar, who did not want his name mentioned, stated that he was aware of the FCT minister’s directive and revealed that he plans to continue his business by moving from the nation’s capital to his home state of Kebbi.

He claims that it is wrong to detain beggars, especially in light of the severe hardship he and his coworkers have been going through.

“I came from Kebbi to find a way to make a living. I started begging because I had nothing to do.

Yesterday, I heard the news on the radio. Because there won’t be anything for me to do if I stay here, I’m returning to my hometown to avoid any issues.

“I have a wife and three children. I have no idea what I will do even if I return.

Many of us are eager to work, but we lack opportunities. There should be another option for us if they say we shouldn’t continue to beg. “Beggaring bothers me,” he stated.