Four young nursing mothers and their babies have been rescued from an illegal dumpsite in Agboju, in the Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos State, where they were allegedly living in deplorable and hazardous conditions.

The women, aged between 20 and 25, were rescued by operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), popularly known as Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), during an operation to clear environmental nuisances and other infractions along the Lagos-Badagry corridor.

Among those rescued was 20-year-old Amanda Oziema Abalihi from Anambra State, who was found with her nine-day-old baby. Others were 23-year-old Fareedat Muyideen from Kwara State, with her two-year-old child; 25-year-old Ayomide Ayomoke from Ondo State, with her 10-month-old baby; and 24-year-old Chisom Ugo from Imo State, with her 11-month-old baby.

The Corps Marshal of LAGESC, Major Olaniyi Olatunji Cole (rtd.), said the discovery was made in the course of the agency’s ongoing efforts to rid the Lagos-Badagry road corridor of illegal dumpsites, shanties and other environmental infractions.

Cole said the agency was alarmed to discover that young nursing mothers and their children were living in extremely poor conditions around some of the illegal dumpsites and shanties in the area.

He said the women were rescued not only to remove them from the hazardous environment but also to ensure that they received medical attention before being reunited with their families or handed over to the appropriate welfare authorities.

Describing the rescue as necessary to prevent a possible loss of life, Cole said the conditions in which the women and their children were found were particularly disturbing, especially the presence of a newborn being cared for amid filth, poor air quality and hunger.

The Corps Marshal appealed to relatives of the women who may have been searching for them to come forward, saying they were currently receiving medical attention and would be discharged after they had regained their health.

He also assured that LAGESC was working with relevant government and humanitarian agencies to ensure the proper rehabilitation and reintegration of the women and their children into society.

Cole urged parents and guardians to pay closer attention to the welfare of their children, noting that some young people had been found living on the streets after allegedly leaving home due to maltreatment.

He reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s commitment to protecting children from abuse and neglect, warning that parents and guardians found culpable could face prosecution.