Ndume urged the FCT Minister to consider a compassionate and long-term strategy rather than relying on the controversial approach of arresting those living and begging on the streets.

Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has proposed the establishment of an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp specifically for beggars and destitute individuals within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Senator Ndume made this suggestion on Wednesday when the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, presented a N1.7 trillion 2025 statutory budget to the National Assembly on behalf of President Bola Tinubu. The presentation was made to the House Committee on the FCT in Abuja.

Ndume urged the FCT Minister to consider a compassionate and long-term strategy rather than relying on the controversial approach of arresting those living and begging on the streets.

The lawmaker stressed that many of those seen begging on Abuja's streets are not criminals but citizens facing severe economic hardship.

Drawing from historical precedents, he referenced the proactive social welfare policies of Kano State in the 1970s, where similar groups were identified, housed, fed, and trained in skills to empower them economically.

“The FCT is also about the indigent,” said Ndume. “For the displaced persons roaming around Abuja, it is not enough to just arrest them. What you need to do is what the Kano State Government did as far back as the 1970s: identify the indigent and establish a camp where they can be fed and trained so they can be taken off the streets.”

Ndume emphasised that those resorting to street begging are often left with no alternative means of survival.

He argued that a transitional support system — providing accommodation, food, healthcare, and vocational training — would offer a sustainable path to reintegration into society.

Senator Ndume also proposed a new security strategy to curb crime in Abuja by adopting a "picketing" method similar to tactics used in Cairo, Egypt.

According to him, deploying police officers every 200 metres throughout the city from 6:00 p.m. to early morning would deter criminal activity.

“At every 200 meters, there should be one police officer either sitting or standing there until morning. That way, the mere presence of the police secures the night,” he said.

Furthermore, he raised concerns about inadequate medical infrastructure in Abuja, specifically citing the Asokoro Hospital, which reportedly lacks basic diagnostic tools such as MRI and CT scan facilities.

“Even today, a patient was taken to Asokoro Hospital — they don’t have MRI or CT scan facilities. I don’t know if the Minister is aware, but if you are, I am sure you would have done something,” he said.

In response to Senator Ndume's suggestion, Wike acknowledged the merit of the proposal but highlighted the current limitations of the FCT administration.

Wike pointed out the difficulty in sustaining such a programme, noting that past efforts to assist beggars have often proven futile, as many return to the streets regardless of intervention.

“The FCT doesn’t have the capacity to support that kind of programme,” said Wike. “Some of them, even when you support them, still come back to beg. It is not just about establishing a camp; it is about sustainable engagement and ensuring they stay off the streets.”