At least 20 beggars arrested in the Federal Capital Territory have reported escaped from the FCT Rehabilitation Centre where they were being kept at Kuchiko-Bwari, an outskirt of the Bwari town
According to Daily Trust, the beggars were said to have escaped through a fence at the back of the facility on Sunday night.
The newspaper said one of the residents of the host community told ilCity & Crime that some of the fleeing beggars pleaded for foods and shoes from the locals in the host community.
He said the fleeing beggars claimed they left the rehabilitation centre because they were not being fed, in addition to being treated badly by the officials.
He said though there was deployment of more policemen within and outside the Centre following the arrival of the beggars, the fleeing ones made their way through the backyard of the facility, while avoiding the official gate, where the security men were stationed.
The head of the centre was said to have been killed recently by yet-to-be identified assailants.
However, Peter Olumuji, Secretary, Command and Control Centre of the Taskforce established to enforce sanity in Abuja city, reportedly denied that inmates escaped from the Centre.
He said security had been beef up at the Centre to secure the inmates and the staff.
Olumuji said the beggars were taking there for profiling and rehabilitation, adding that any of them who don’t want to stay would be repatriated to their states of origin.
On feeding, he said the FCT Social Development Secretariat was responsible for the welfare of the inmates, adding that the Secretariat would do everything possible to cater for the welfare of the inmates.
