What have we done?” a beggar, Ali Bappa, exclaimed in disbelief when our correspondent informed him about the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike’s directive to arrest beggars in the nation’s capital.
Wike had during the flag-off ceremony for access road construction in the Katampe District on Tuesday threatened a crackdown on beggars.
Lamenting the increasing population of beggars in the FCT, the former Rivers State governor ordered law enforcement agents to start apprehending them from Monday.
“Let me state clearly that we have declared war; Abuja is turning into a beggar city. If you know you have a sister or brother who is a beggar, please, from next week, we will take them away. It is embarrassing that people will come in and the first things they will see are just beggars on the road,” Wike had said.
Not done, Wike accused some of them of being criminals, adding that they had till Sunday to find their way out of the nation’s capital.
Though unaware of the new order, Bappa wondered if any plan had been made to provide them with alternative means of livelihood, expressing concern over their uncertain future.
According to him, begging was never something he took pleasure in, adding that he hated the discrimination attached to being a beggar in the nation’s capital.
