KAI OPERATIVES RESCUE MOTHER, FIVE-MONTH-OLD BABY FROM LAGOS CANAL

Operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, popularly known as KAI, have rescued a mother and her five-month-old baby girl from a canal at Abule-Ado along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. The duo was discovered during a routine clearance operation, with officials expressing concern over the condition of the infant at the time of the rescue.

According to the agency’s spokesperson, Lukman Ajayi, the operatives found the mother and child inside the canal while carrying out their duties in the area. He said the baby was in a poor state of health, prompting the officials to immediately remove both mother and daughter from the dangerous location and take them to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

Ajayi disclosed that the mother could not provide a satisfactory explanation for why she and her baby were in the canal. He said she only told the operatives that she was running away from her husband, who reportedly lives in FESTAC. The circumstances that led the woman and her child to the canal remain unclear.

The latest rescue comes about two weeks after KAI officials found four nursing mothers and their babies at an illegal dumpsite in Agboju, also along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. One of the infants rescued during that operation was reportedly only nine days old and was found in an environment affected by filth, poor air quality and limited access to basic necessities.

The repeated discoveries have raised concerns about the welfare of vulnerable mothers and children living or seeking refuge in hazardous environments. The incidents also highlight the need for stronger cooperation between environmental agencies, healthcare providers and social welfare authorities to identify vulnerable families and provide them with medical care, safe shelter and other forms of support.