The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps, widely referred to as KAI, has rescued four nursing mothers and their babies from an illegal dumpsite in Agboju, Lagos State.
The women and their children were rescued on Monday as part of an ongoing inter-agency sanitation operation along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway corridor.
The Corps Marshal of LAGESC, Major Olaniyi Cole (retd.), revealed the development in a statement shared on the agency’s X handle on Tuesday.
Cole explained that the cleanup exercise, which has continued for several weeks, was designed to clear environmental violations and obstructions along the expressway corridor.
According to him, officials encountered young nursing mothers living in extremely poor and unsafe conditions within illegal dumpsites and shanties. The discovery led to their rescue and the provision of medical care.
He said, “The inter-agency cleanup of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, which has been ongoing for weeks now, is aimed at removing infractions and hindrances on that corridor, which has been successful.
“But, to our utter amazement, we discovered that there are young nursing mothers living in inhumane conditions in these illegal dumpsites and shanties, hence the need to rescue them, offer medical assistance before reuniting them with their families or the welfare authorities.”
Cole stressed that rescuing the women was essential to avert a possible loss of life, particularly given the poor condition of one of the newborn babies found at the site.
He noted that the women had been living in surroundings characterised by severe pollution, unhealthy air and inadequate access to food.
The rescued women were identified as “Fareedat Muyideen, 23, from Kwara State, with her two-year-old baby; Ayomide Ayomoke, 25, from Ondo State, with her 10-month-old baby; Amanda Oziema Abalihi, 20, from Anambra State, with her nine-day-old baby; and Chisom Ugo, 24, from Imo State, with her 11-month-old baby.”
The Corps Marshal appealed to relatives who may have been looking for the women to contact the authorities. He said the women were currently receiving medical care and would be released once they were considered medically fit.
Cole added that LAGESC was collaborating with relevant government agencies to support the women’s rehabilitation and eventual reintegration into society.
He further called on parents to pay closer attention to their children, explaining that some young people had reportedly ended up living on the streets after allegedly experiencing maltreatment at home.
Cole reiterated the Lagos State Government’s commitment to tackling child abuse and warned that parents or guardians found responsible for neglecting or abusing children could be prosecuted.
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