FCTA decries use of beggars as drug couriers

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has raised the alarm over what it described as the growing involvement of beggars and destitute persons in criminal networks, particularly in the transportation of illicit drugs across Abuja.

The Secretary of the FCT Command and Control Centre, Peter Olumuji, made this known on Monday during the ongoing enforcement exercise tagged Operation Sweep, saying security intelligence indicated that vulnerable persons were being deliberately exploited by criminal elements.

Olumuji said street beggars and persons with disabilities were increasingly being used as couriers for illegal substances, especially at night.

“The sad thing is that, as vulnerable as they have become, they have also become a useful tool in the hands of criminal elements.

“From intelligence we have gathered over time, they use them to courier illicit drugs, especially at night,” the secretary stated.

He added that the tactic was designed to evade suspicion from security operatives.

“Who would suspect that a physically challenged person could courier illicit drugs? But they use them to do that,” he said.

Olumuji also expressed concern that some of those being targeted in the enforcement operations were allegedly being used as informants by criminal gangs operating within the FCT.

He further noted that enforcement teams had, in some instances, encountered resistance during raids, with suspects reportedly attacking officials using walking canes and other mobility aids.

The FCTA said the ongoing operation was part of broader efforts to curb street begging, improve public order and strengthen security across the city.

The Head of FCT Enforcement, Ulkacha Adebayo, said 54 persons were evacuated during Monday’s operation, comprising 45 adults and nine children.

“In the past three months, we were able to evacuate about 835 of them. So, if we add it to the number we have now, it’s about 889,” she said.

Adebayo explained that those removed from the streets were being profiled and taken to government rehabilitation centres, where they were expected to receive welfare support and vocational training.

She added that the exercise was ongoing in key parts of the capital, including Maitama, Asokoro, Garki, Wuse and Gwarinpa, and would continue under directives from the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

Abuja, like many rapidly growing capitals, continues to grapple with street begging linked to poverty, displacement and urban inequality, prompting periodic enforcement efforts by authorities to maintain public order in key districts of the city.