“It is embarrassing that people who come into Abuja, the first thing they see is just beggars on the road,” Mr Wike said.
The minister said many of the “purported scavengers” have been arrested in the various acts of vandalising private and public property.
The Lagos state government has admitted to deporting 371 residents, whom they described as “miscreants, beggars and destitute”, back to their states.
“Who says there are no beggars in Canada, USA or UK? There are beggars and homeless people in these countries.”
Governor Godwin Obaseki said beggars that won’t work would be sent back to where they came from.
“We always received complaints on the high increase of these beggars on our major roads, which is always an eyesore,” said the commissioner.
The commissioner further revealed that the ministry would also go to Islamic schools and repatriate the Almajiris to their homes.
