Scavengers are increasingly clustering in the neighborhoods of Mararaba, Nyanya, Karu, Lugbe, and Kubwa in the Federal Capital Territory, raising concerns about their links to crimes.

Residents have expressed concerns about the activities of these scavengers, who rummage for recyclable materials like plastic and scrap metal, and have been accused of engaging in robbery and other criminal acts.

They appealed to the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, to double its enforcement, limit their activities, and avail other means of disposing domestic waste.

Ekwutosblog gathered that the scavengers, also known as ‘Baba Boola’, loiter around neighbourhoods at odd hours and pose a lot of security risk.

In FCT, a legal case is underway involving scavengers and beggars suing the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, over alleged rights violations.

The suit was filed by a lawyer, Abba Hikima, on behalf of vulnerable residents, including scavengers and beggars and are seeking N500 million in damages, claiming their fundamental rights were breached by the Minister and the Inspector-General of Police.

Wike, in his defense, said that the scavengers and beggars are causing a security threat to the FCT, citing their presence in unauthorized areas, public urination and defecation, and potential links to criminal activities.

The minister, in a counter-affidavit filed in opposition to the case instituted on behalf of some vulnerable FCT residents, told Justice James Omotosho to dismiss the N500 million suit in its entirety, adding that begging is not a trade known to law.

According to him, many of the purported scavengers have been arrested in the various acts of vandalising private and public property and, in most cases, serving as spies to kidnappers, criminals and terrorist organisations.

“The said homeless people who reside and sleep on public roads and under the bridges without any proper form of toilet system rely heavily on open urination and defecation, which litter the streets of Abuja and threaten the environment and health of fellow citizens within the FCT,” he said.

The case, which is before the Federal High Court in Abuja, and its judgment is expected on July 10, raises questions about the rights of vulnerable citizens, the responsibilities of the government to protect its citizens, and the balance between development and the needs of marginalized populations.

The lawyer representing the scavengers and beggars argued that homelessness and petty trading are not crimes and that the actions of the FCT administration are infringing on their rights.

Speaking to Ekwutosblog, a concerned teacher in Mararaba, Ngozi Ezike, said that Abuja is fast becoming a hotspot for kidnappers and other criminal elements due to its porous boundaries and security set up.

Ezike said two major incidents of burglary were reportedly carried out by scavengers, and nothing has been done to permanently end the menace.

“Abuja, especially this Mararaba axis is becoming something else. We cannot go to bed with two eyes closed because of fear of the unknown.

“Nothing has been done about the latest incident where scavengers broke into one’s house and carted away valuable things,” she said.

Another resident in Nyanya, Mariam Musa, regretted the absence of an organised management to collect domestic waste, adding that the flawed system empowers criminals.

“Previously, the Abuja environmental board was more organised. As long as there is no means of disposing of domestic waste, the scavengers will keep increasing in numbers. The evil these scavengers are capable of is limitless,” she said.

On his part, Deji Ayo, a resident of the Karu area of the FCT, blamed the rising insecurity in the nation’s capital for the situation, stressing that Karu used to experience peace before the increased number of scavengers and beggars in the area.

Another resident, Mike Divine, who stays in Lugbe, said the menace of scavengers in Abuja had exposed residents to pilfering, burglary, illegal surveillance, knife attacks, and hooliganism.

Divine said during odd hours, the scavengers inflict violence on innocent individuals and vandalise government properties, advising the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, to implement the ban on indiscriminate disposal of refuse, and scavenging.

“The authorities should implement the ban, which should include moving these young people to skills acquisition centres or other sources of livelihood, while the waste management system in the city needs to be effective, thereby making their (scavengers’) access to bins difficult,” he said.

In an interview with some scavengers, Ibrahim Dantata, he said he embarked on the job to make ends meet.

“There is no job. I have no education and I have no skill. Not every scavenger is a thief.

“I know people are ruining our reputation but we are all not bad. I am into this business because it helps me feed my four wives and nine children in Zamfara,” he said.

Another scavenger, Kabiru M’uazu, who carries out his business in Nyanya, said any scavenger caught stealing should be made to face the full wrath of the law.

He said: “We don’t tolerate stealing among ourselves. Anybody who is caught stealing faces disciplinary actions by us. We either collect their truck or we go physical on them.”

The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, under Operation FANSAN YAMMA Sector 1, said it carried out a series of precision air strikes in support of ground troops, targeting terrorists behind recent attacks, and neutralized scores of terrorists in Niger State.

Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information, Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force, in a statement said:

“On 26 June, following credible intelligence, and with inter-service and inter-agency cooperation, the NAF identified terrorist activities involving attacks and cattle rustling in Kakihun and Kumbashi communities.

“Swiftly deploying air assets, the Air Component executed multiple waves of precision strikes that neutralized scores of terrorists, destroyed their logistics, and disrupted regrouping efforts.

“The operation demonstrated NAF’s professionalism, rapid response capability, and strong coordination with ground forces and other agencies.

“The Nigerian Air Force remains resolutely committed to protecting the lives and property of all Nigerians and ensuring lasting peace across the country.”

A High Court in Nairobi, Kenya, has ruled that the abduction and detention of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, in Kenya and his subsequent rendition to Nigeria in June 2021 were unlawful and illegal.

Delivering judgment, Justice E.C. Mwita held that the actions of both the Kenyan and Nigerian governments amounted to gross violations of Kanu’s fundamental human rights as protected by their respective constitutions.

The court also awarded Kanu 10 million Kenyan shillings in compensatory damages against the Kenyan government for its role in the unlawful abduction and rendition.

Justice E.C. Mwita said, “Having considered the pleadings and arguments by parties, the decisions relied on, the Constitution and the law, I come to the following conclusions:

“First, the government of Kenya violated the Constitution and Mr. Nnamdi Kanu’s rights and fundamental freedoms. Having entered Kenya lawfully he was subject to the protection offered by the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and the government of Kenya had an obligation to uphold and protect his rights and fundamental freedoms.

“Mr. Nnamdi was, however, abducted, kept in solitude confinement, tortured and denied food and medication, a breach of basic rights. He was chained, humiliated, ridiculed and held in contempt and later forcibly removed from Kenya without following the law in violation of his rights and fundamental freedoms for which the government of Kenya is liable.

“Based on the above conclusions, the court makes the following declarations and orders it considers appropriate: A declaration is hereby issued that the abduction of Mr. Nwannekaenvi Nnamdi Kenny Okwu Kanu; holding him in incommunicado confinement, torturing him and denying him food, water, medication and other basic necessities was a violation of his rights and fundamental freedoms.

“A declaration is hereby issued that the abduction and subsequent forcible removal of Mr. Nwannekaenvi Nnamdi Kenny Okwu-Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria was in violation of the laws of Kenya; his rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of movement and security of the person guaranteed by the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 and, therefore, unconstitutional and illegal.

“An order for compensation is hereby issued awarding Mr. Nwannekaenvi Nnamdi Kenny Okwu-Kanu general damages of Kshs 10,000,000 (N119,546,576.79) against the Attorney General of Kenya on behalf of the government of Kenya for the violation of Mr. Nwannekaenvi Nnamdi Kenny Okwu-Kanu’s constitutional rights and fundamental freedoms.”

Meanwhile, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has hailed the judgment as a landmark victory, saying it vindicates the group’s long-standing position since what it described as the sham and farcical trial of its leader in Nigeria.

A statement signed by the IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful, read, “The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) wishes to formally announce a resounding judicial earthquake that has shaken the legal foundations of the fraudulent rendition of our leader, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“In a historic, courageous, and landmark judgement delivered on June 24, 2025, the High Court of Kenya, sitting in Nairobi, found that the abduction, incommunicado detention, torture, and illegal transfer of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021 was unlawful, unconstitutional, and a gross violation of his fundamental human rights under Kenyan and international law.

“This judgement vindicates our consistent position that what transpired in Nairobi in June 2021 was not extradition but extraordinary rendition — a criminal act of state-sponsored international terrorism involving the highest authorities of the Nigerian and Kenyan governments.

“We are grateful beyond measure to the brilliant legal leadership of Professor PLO Lumumba, lead counsel in the Kenyan litigation, whose courage, clarity, and tenacity led to this monumental legal victory. IPOB also extends heartfelt appreciation to the Kenyan judiciary, especially Hon. Justice E.C. Mwita, who stood tall against ferocious political interference and international diplomatic pressure to deliver a fearless judgement grounded in law, morality, and constitutional justice.

“We know, and now the world must acknowledge, that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu did not commit any crime in Kenya. He entered Kenya lawfully as a British citizen.

“He was abducted in broad daylight at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by agents of Nigeria’s secret police in collusion with rogue elements of the Kenyan security apparatus. He was chained, tortured, denied medication, and eventually bundled onto a private jet and flown illegally to Abuja without any extradition hearing or judicial warrant.

“This verdict places a permanent and indelible legal stain on the records of former presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, ‘Muhammadu Buhari’ of Nigeria and former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, and their accomplices.

“It also exposes the criminal lobbying missions embarked upon by Nigerian leaders — from ‘Buhari’, Osinbajo, to Tinubu and Shettima — all of whom tried and failed to manipulate Kenya’s judiciary to cover up this internationally condemned act of extraordinary rendition.

“Let it be known that this is not the end. This is the beginning of a global accountability campaign. All those responsible — in Kenya, Nigeria, or elsewhere — shall be pursued to the ends of the earth under the universal principle of accountability for crimes against humanity. Neither British diplomatic complicity nor cowardly silence from Western powers will shield the perpetrators from the legal, diplomatic, and moral reckoning that is coming.”

“To Justice E.C. Mwita, we say thank you for your judicial bravery. To Professor PLO Lumumba and his team, we salute your exceptional advocacy. To the oppressed peoples of the world, this is your victory — a warning to tyrants that international borders will no longer shield criminal regimes from justice,” the statement added.