By Ayooluwa Ayobami
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has vowed to deal with street beggars in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
Wike noted that some of those who claim to be beggars are actually not as they might be informants and security threats to the city.
He said this during the official flag-off ceremony of the construction of an access road from Ring 1 by N16 to Judges’ quarters and roads within the quarters in Katampe District of Abuja on Tuesday, October 22.
Wike said: “We have declared war. Abuja is turning to a beggar city, if you know you have a sister or brother who is a beggar on the road please from next week we’ll carry them, we’ll take them out.
“It is embarrassing that people would come in and the first thing they see are beggars on the road.
“And sometimes they may not be beggars, they may be criminals pretending to be beggars, we’ll not allow that.
“So I’m giving you a public holiday from now till Sunday. From Monday, we’ll pack them out.
“Let us know that we have a city that we can call a city. It’s very embarrassing, we are fighting insecurity and people will carry plates as if they are beggars. They may be informants.
“So please have it a the back of your mind, it’s not only infrastructures, we owe you to give you good security so you can sleep well with your two eyes closed.”
