The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (KAI) has rescued four nursing mothers and their babies from an illegal dumpsite at Agboju, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

The rescue was carried out on Monday during an ongoing inter-agency cleanup of the corridor, which is targeting illegal dumpsites, shanties and other environmental violations.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday, LAGESC Corps Marshal Olaniyi Cole said operatives were shocked to find the young mothers living with their children in what he described as inhumane conditions.

One of the rescued babies was only nine days old and had been living in an environment marked by poor sanitation, polluted air and limited access to basic necessities, Cole said.

The women were identified as 23-year-old Fareedat Muyideen from Kwara State, who was with her two-year-old child; 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 baby; and 24-year-old Chisom Ugo from Imo State, with her 11-month-old child.

Cole said the women and their children were rescued over concerns about their health and safety. They were receiving medical attention and would either be reunited with their families or referred to relevant welfare authorities.

He appealed to relatives searching for the women to contact the appropriate authorities. Cole also said LAGESC was working with government and humanitarian agencies to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of the mothers and their children.

He urged parents and guardians to pay closer attention to the welfare of young people, warning that maltreatment at home could contribute to children ending up on the streets.

Cole reiterated the Lagos State Government’s opposition to child abuse and neglect, saying parents and guardians found culpable could face prosecution.