Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has been advised to withdraw his threat to arrest beggars in the nation’s capital or face legal action.
The Socio-Economic Rights Accountability Project, SERAP, issued the warning in a post on its official X handle, #SerapNigeria, on Wednesday.
The civil society organization noted that the minister should instead provide opportunities to help the beggars rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society, stressing that no one should be criminalised for their socio-economic status.
Wike had during the flag-off ceremony for construction of a road in the Katampe District of Abuja on Tuesday, threatened a crackdown on beggars, announcing that enforcement agents would start apprehending them from Monday next week.
Wike said, “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 thing they will see are just beggars on the road.”
The minister lamented that some of the individuals may be criminals pretending to be beggars.
He said he is giving them a ‘public holiday’ till Sunday, and from Monday, he will remove them.
SERAP in its post, appealed to the minister to immediately address the socio-economic rights of marginalised individuals in the FCT.
“The Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, must immediately withdraw his apparently unlawful threat to arrest beggars in Abuja or face legal action,”
SERAP said, stressing that no one should be criminalised for engaging in life-sustaining economic activities or because of their economic or social status.
Rather than arresting and cracking down on beggars, SERAP observed that the minister should provide them with the opportunity to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into society while respecting their dignity and human rights.
The group noted that Wike should immediately begin to address the root causes of poverty and the violations of the economic and social rights of particularly marginalised individuals in Abuja, suggesting that the minister must address the plight of those experiencing homelessness and those living in poverty, and not demonise and criminalise them.
