Operatives of the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), popularly known as KAI, have rescued four nursing mothers and their babies from an illegal dumpsite in the Agboju area of Lagos State.
The rescued women were identified as Fareedat Muyideen, 23, from Kwara State, who was 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 rescue was carried out yesterday during an ongoing inter-agency cleanup of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway corridor, where operatives discovered the women and their children living in what the agency described as inhumane conditions.
The Corps Marshal of LAGESC, Major Olaniyi Cole (rtd.), disclosed the development in a statement made available to journalists at the agency’s command headquarters in Bolade-Oshodi on Tuesday.
Cole said the cleanup operation, which had been ongoing for several weeks, was aimed at removing environmental infractions, illegal structures and other obstructions along the Lagos-Badagry corridor.
He said the discovery of the nursing mothers and their babies prompted the agency to intervene, adding that the women were provided with medical attention and would be reunited with their families or handed over to relevant welfare authorities.
According to Cole, the women were found living in deplorable conditions characterised by filth, poor air quality and lack of adequate food.
He described the intervention as necessary to prevent a possible loss of life, particularly after officials discovered a newborn being cared for in the dumpsite.
Cole appealed to relatives of the women who may have been searching for them after they left home to contact the agency, saying they were currently receiving medical attention.
He added that LAGESC was working with relevant agencies to ensure the women received appropriate rehabilitation and were eventually reintegrated into society.
The Corps Marshal also urged parents and guardians to pay closer attention to their children, noting that some young people had been found living on the streets after allegedly leaving home because of maltreatment.
He reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s position against child abuse and warned that parents and guardians found guilty of neglect or abuse could face prosecution.