—– Explained that the operation followed a structured process that prioritises counselling, profiling and reintegration.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has intensified efforts to rid Abuja of street begging and related social challenges, removing no fewer than 607 beggars and mentally challenged persons from the city between July 2025 and January 2026.

The Head of Enforcement at the FCT Social Development Secretariat, Mrs. Ukachi Adebayo, disclosed this on Monday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). She said the exercise was carried out by the Operation Sweep Abuja Clean team as part of ongoing efforts to restore order and dignity to the nation’s capital.

According to Adebayo, 583 of those evacuated were beggars, while 23 were persons living with mental health challenges. “When we apprehend beggars and mentally challenged individuals, we first counsel and profile them. After that, we take them to their respective state liaison offices for onward return to their states of origin, where they are expected to undergo rehabilitation,” she said.

Adebayo noted that despite repeated interventions, many of those removed often find their way back to the streets, stressing that the exercise would remain continuous. She added that insecurity and economic hardship in some states had pushed many individuals to migrate to Abuja in search of survival.

“The more you take them out, the more they resurface. Some were driven by insecurity in their states and came to Abuja to seek refuge, but we will continue to apprehend them and take them back,” she stated.

Also speaking, the Acting Director of Social Welfare at the Secretariat, Mrs. Gloria Onwuka, raised concerns over the increasing exploitation of children in street begging across the capital.

She revealed that investigations showed some children found begging were brought from other states by unidentified individuals who use them as tools for profit. According to her, some women arrested while begging with children were later discovered not to be their biological mothers.

“Begging is now run like a business. Some people hire children from other states, transport them to Abuja early in the morning and put them on the streets to beg. In many cases, the families do not even know what their children are being used for,” Onwuka said.

She called for stronger collaboration among states, security agencies and social welfare institutions to curb the growing trend, protect vulnerable children and address the root causes of street begging in the country.

The FCTA reiterated its commitment to sustaining the Operation Sweep Abuja Clean initiative as part of broader efforts to promote social welfare, public safety and urban order in the Federal Capital Territory.