Operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, popularly known as KAI, have rescued a five-month-old baby girl and her mother from a canal at Abule-Ado along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
The duo were found during routine clearance operations in the area. According to KAI spokesperson, Lukman Ajayi, the mother could not satisfactorily explain why they were at the canal, saying only that she was fleeing from her husband, who lives in FESTAC.
The baby was reportedly in poor health when they were found. Concerned about their safety, the operatives immediately rescued them and took both mother and child to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
The incident comes less than two weeks after KAI rescued four nursing mothers and their children from an illegal dumpsite at Agboju along the same expressway. One of the rescued babies was just nine days old and was found in an environment marked by filth, poor air quality and inadequate access to basic necessities.
The four women were identified as Fareedat Muyideen, 23, from Kwara State, with her two-year-old child; 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 child.
The repeated rescues have raised concerns about the vulnerability of mothers and young children living or seeking refuge in unsafe environments. They also highlight the need for environmental enforcement and social welfare agencies to collaborate in providing vulnerable families with shelter, healthcare and other essential support.
Source: PUNCH Metro