Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (KAI), led by Corps Marshal Major Olaniyi Cole (retd.), on Monday, August 10, 2026, rescued four nursing mothers and their babies from an illegal dumpsite and surrounding shanties in Agboju, Lagos State, during an inter-agency cleanup of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway corridor.
The KAI Lagos dumpsite rescue came after sanitation operatives discovered the women living with their young children in what Major Olaniyi Cole described as inhumane conditions, prompting the authorities to provide medical assistance and begin arrangements for their rehabilitation and possible reunification with their families.
Also read: BBNaija S11: Neche wins Head of House for week 3
Cole said the discovery was made during a cleanup operation that has been running for several weeks to remove illegal structures, waste and other environmental infractions along the busy corridor.
“But, to our utter amazement, we discovered that there are young nursing mothers living in inhumane conditions in these illegal dumpsites and shanties, hence the need to rescue them, offer medical assistance before reuniting them with their families or the welfare authorities,” Cole said.
The four 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, who had her 10-month-old baby; 20-year-old Amanda Oziema Abalihi from Anambra State, who was with her nine-day-old newborn; and 24-year-old Chisom Ugo from Imo State, who had her 11-month-old baby.
The discovery has brought a human dimension to an environmental enforcement campaign that has been taking place along one of Lagos’ busiest transport corridors.
Cole said the women had been living amid accumulated refuse, poor air quality and hunger, conditions that raised concerns about their welfare and the health of the children, particularly the nine-day-old baby found among the group.
The women are currently receiving medical attention, according to the KAI chief, who said the authorities would discharge them when they are medically fit.
LAGESC is also working with relevant agencies on rehabilitation and reintegration arrangements, while families who may be searching for the women have been urged to come forward.
The rescue occurred against the backdrop of a wider Lagos State campaign to reclaim the Lagos-Badagry Expressway from illegal occupation, indiscriminate dumping and other environmental violations.
The Lagos State Government intensified the operation in June after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu directed agencies to clear illegal structures and occupants from sections of the highway median.
The campaign involves KAI, the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), LASTMA, the state Task Force, the Rapid Response Squad and the Mobile Police.
The environmental concerns along the corridor are not new. In February, LAWMA began a large-scale waste evacuation programme starting from the Alaba Rago axis, deploying heavy-duty carriers, loaders and support teams to remove illegal dumps.
The exercise was later extended towards Okokomaiko, LASU, Agric and Mile 2.
Authorities have also repeatedly warned against the use of unregulated waste collectors. In January, LAWMA arrested cart pushers allegedly involved in illegal dumping after an unauthorised dumpsite was discovered along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Ojo.
The persistent presence of illegal dumpsites has raised wider public-health and environmental concerns.
Previous reports have documented the spread of unauthorised waste sites along several sections of the corridor, including Agboju and neighbouring communities.
The latest operation, however, has exposed another layer of vulnerability within the spaces created by poor environmental conditions and informal settlements.
Cole urged parents and guardians to pay closer attention to the welfare of young people, saying some young residents had reportedly left their homes and ended up living on the streets because of alleged maltreatment.
He also reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s position against child abuse and neglect, warning that parents or guardians found culpable could face prosecution.
For the four women and their babies, the immediate priority is now medical care and a safe environment after being removed from the dumpsite.
For Lagos authorities, the discovery reinforces the difficult balance between enforcing environmental laws and responding to the vulnerable people found within areas targeted for clearance.
The KAI Lagos dumpsite rescue has therefore turned an otherwise routine sanitation operation into a poignant reminder that behind illegal settlements and waste blackspots can be people facing severe social and economic hardship.
Also read: BBNaija S11: Neche wins Head of House for week 3
As the cleanup continues along the Lagos-Badagry corridor, the authorities now face the added responsibility of ensuring that the environmental intervention is accompanied by appropriate welfare support for vulnerable people displaced or discovered during the operation.
