Lagos rescues four nursing mothers, babies from dumpsite

The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps, popularly known as KAI, has rescued four nursing mothers and their babies from an illegal dumpsite at Agboju along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

The rescue was carried out on Monday during an ongoing inter-agency operation to clear illegal dumpsites, shanties and other environmental violations along the expressway corridor.

The Corps Marshal of LAGESC, Olaniyi Cole, said operatives were surprised to find the women living with their babies at the dumpsite under unsafe conditions.

Cole said one of the rescued babies was only nine days old and had been exposed to an environment characterised by poor sanitation and potentially harmful air quality.

The rescued women were identified as Fareedat Muyideen, 23, from Kwara State, and her two-year-old child; Ayomide Ayomoke, 25, from Ondo State, and her 10-month-old baby; Amanda Oziema Abalihi, 20, from Anambra State, and her nine-day-old baby; and Chisom Ugo, 24, from Imo State, and her 11-month-old child.

According to Cole, the women and children were taken into protective care because of concerns over their health and safety.

He said they were receiving medical attention while the agency worked with relevant authorities to facilitate their reunion with their families or transfer them to appropriate welfare services.

“The inter-agency cleanup of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway has been ongoing for weeks, but to our utter amazement, we discovered young nursing mothers living in inhumane conditions in these illegal dumpsites and shanties,” Cole said.

He said the rescue became necessary to protect the mothers and children from further exposure to the hazardous conditions at the site.

Cole appealed to relatives who might be searching for the rescued women to contact the relevant authorities, adding that LAGESC was collaborating with government and humanitarian agencies on their rehabilitation and reintegration.

He also urged parents and guardians to pay greater attention to the welfare of children, warning that neglect and maltreatment could contribute to young people ending up on the streets.

The Corps Marshal reiterated the Lagos State Government’s position against child abuse and neglect, adding that parents or guardians found culpable could face prosecution.