Nigeria’s economic hardship has forced beggars in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to invent new ways to convince people to give alms.
Emeka Okoro is one of the ‘good Samaritans’ who fell victim. The young man who identified himself as a businessman said he was approached by a teenager who stood before her mother at the popular Berger Bridge in the FCT seeking for transport fare.
“A teenager and her mother were standing, and when the girl saw me, she approached me seeking help. She said they were stranded and they needed transport fare to go to Nyanya, I asked her if she was sure, and she nodded her head. I gave her N1,000 to give to her mother.
“The place was opposite a car park where I wanted to take a taxi to Zone 4. When I entered a taxi, we waited for it to get filled but to my amazement, the girl and her mother approached more than 10 passersby and many of them gave the duo money,” Okoro narrated his experience.
This is just one of the many cases of Abuja residents who encounter this trick by Abuja beggars.
Since May 2023 when fuel subsidy was removed and the currency was floated, Nigerians have been plunged into hardship.
The number of beggars has since surged despite policies put in place by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to stop street begging. Some of the policies include a ban on the practice and repatriating beggars to their states.
Before the hardship became worse, begging in Abuja was mostly carried out by persons with disabilities, children and some lazy adults who pretended to have either physical or financial challenges.
But more people have joined the ‘business’ which has been renamed as “corporate begging.”
These corporate beggars also have their locations. They can be seen around Berger Roundabout, Wuse Market, Federal Secretariat, Area 1, Nyanya, Lugbe, Kubwa, Maitama, Banex Plaza and AYA Roundabout among others.
A commercial driver, Mr. Justin narrated his experience in Gwarinpa with a tricycle rider.
He said, “I boarded a keke (tricycle) to a place, on getting there, the keke driver told me that he had been thinking about how to explain this problem to him.
“With tears on his face, he said that his wife put to bed their first child last night, but unfortunately the baby has no sex organ, and they were looking for money to carry out surgery on the baby. He said thhat any amount can go a long way to help them. I charitably gave him what I had with me then, assuring him that they would be fine.
‘‘Three weeks later, I found myself in the same man’s keke. He came up with a different story begging for alms again. I asked him, are you not the same person? Before I could finish, he disappeared.”
Another victim, a young lady (name withheld), narrated how a young boy and girl met her in Dutse with some products they claimed to be GND products and begged her to give them money for transport to go back to their company.
According to her, she asked them to use part of the money they made from their sales, but they declined, saying that they had not made any sales. She also offered to buy the cheapest of their product and asked them to transport themselves with the money. But to her amazement, they declined, saying that it was the company’s money.
Samuel, another victim also narrated how a well-dressed male who was in his early 20s and claimed to be stranded with a dead phone battery had asked for some money to be able to reach his destination.
Samuel was rescued by a passerby who told him that the beggar was not stranded. “I have known him for this trick,” the passerby told him. According to Samuel, the young boy quickly walked away without saying a word.
Mrs. Gracious Uwem, who has had her fair share of beggars on the street of Abuja as a shop owner said that beggars have turned her business premises into their home where they sleep after the day’s activity.
She explained how they tried to blackmail her emotionally by sweeping the environment while waiting behind to see if she would give them money or food items as a reward.
Uwem said, “My shop is now their house; they wake up very early in the morning to tidy up this place so that when I come, I will pity them and give them something which I know they are doing intentionally.
“If I don’t give them anything, they might one day decide to rob me. It is better I give them anything I have so they won’t think of doing that. Besides, their presence will help scare away thieves.”
Emmanuel, an FCT resident, said he does not have issues lending help to the needy, but he lamented the deceit employed by beggars to seek help.
Emmanuel said, “I don’t have any problem helping beggars when I have, but my problem is that they hide under the disguise of pleading for help to rob people recently.
“Just last week, those children that stay under the bridge tried to run away with my bags while helping me carry them, but they were caught by some people passing by. Funny enough, these are the same people that stand as beggars during the day, but they turn to thieves at night, making it difficult for people to help them.’’