KAI RESCUES FOUR NURSING MOTHERS, BABIES FROM LAGOS DUMPSITE
Four nursing mothers and their babies have been rescued from an illegal dumpsite in the Agboju area of Lagos State by operatives of the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps, popularly known as KAI.
The rescue operation was carried out on Monday during an ongoing inter-agency cleanup of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway corridor.
According to the Corps Marshal of LAGESC, Major Olaniyi Cole, retired, the operatives were shocked to discover young mothers living with their babies in extremely harsh and unhygienic conditions inside illegal dumpsites and shanties.
The women were reportedly living amid heaps of refuse, poor air quality and inadequate food, raising serious concerns about their health and the safety of their children.
The rescued women were identified as 23-year-old Fareedat Muyideen from Kwara State, who was with her two-year-old baby; 25-year-old Ayomide Ayomoke from Ondo State, with her 10-month-old baby; 20-year-old Amanda Oziema Abalihi from Anambra State, with her nine-day-old newborn; and 24-year-old Chisom Ugo from Imo State, with her 11-month-old baby.
Major Cole said the intervention became necessary to prevent a possible loss of life, particularly after the discovery of a newborn being cared for in the dumpsite.
The women and their babies have since been provided with medical attention. LAGESC says they will either be reunited with their families or handed over to appropriate welfare authorities when they are medically fit.
The agency is also working with relevant authorities on the rehabilitation and reintegration of the women into society.
Meanwhile, the Corps Marshal has appealed to relatives who may have been searching for the women to come forward and assist authorities in reconnecting them with their families.
He also urged parents and guardians to pay closer attention to their children, noting that some young people have ended up living on the streets after allegedly leaving home because of maltreatment.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the dangers faced by vulnerable women and children living around illegal dumpsites, while highlighting the need for stronger social welfare intervention alongside environmental enforcement in Lagos.