By John Ikani
Officials of the Social Development Secretariat (SDS) in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have given a clean bill to a notorious beggar, Hadiza Ibrahim who was recently caught with huge cash amounting to N500, 000 and $100.
Hadiza Ibrahim was arrested a few days ago at the Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, in Wuse 2 District in the nation’s capital, after she was caught with huge cash amounting to N500,000 and $100.
According to the administration, reports of its preliminary investigations showed that Hadiza has no links with drug peddlers, arms dealers, kidnap gangs, and other organized criminal syndicates.
Instead, officials said the money was an accumulation of her N2,000 daily contribution.
“Within our little knowledge and experience in discharging our duty, with the assistance of security personnel attached to us, we understand that Hadiza was not involved in any criminal activity and if you look at the money found in her possession, it was accumulated over time,” said the Acting Director, Social Welfare Services of the SDS, Malam Sani Amar.
According to him, preliminary investigations conducted by the SDS showed that Hadiza has no links with any organized criminal syndicates as was earlier perceived by the general public.
While urging residents of the territory to discourage begging, the official noted that Hadiza, a native of Kaduna State was able to make so much money because of the location she usually stays to beg.
“On the profiling we did on her, we gave the Police in our team time to play their role and they did what they could and it was clearly established that she was not into such nefarious acts.
“She was so wise to have selected the areas of her own begging business, where she realises huge money daily.”
The FCTA official also appealed to the public to stop giving alms to beggars on the streets, saying the action is what has encouraged the beggars to carry on, thereby causing environmental nuisance in the nation’s capital city.
“You can imagine somebody dishing out one hundred dollars as alms to a beggar, not knowing that such person has more than that amount with him or her. Won’t the beggar return to the same location?
“We have established colonies and settlements of real people who are in dire need of such support either cash or kind. So, I want to solicit that anybody who wishes to give such alms or support, should please carry out such to such people in dire need or you can go directly and give them.
“Civil servants, private business operators and what have you, if you want to give alms or assistance of any kind, look around you, there are people in dire need of help, reach out to them, you will be blessed”, he stressed.
