KAI Rescues 5-Month-Old Baby, Mother From Canal Along Lagos-Badagry Expressway

A five-month-old baby girl and her mother have been rescued from a canal along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, barely two weeks after four nursing mothers and their children were found living at an illegal dumpsite on the same road.

The latest rescue was carried out by operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, KAI, during a routine clearance operation in the Abule-Ado area of the expressway.

KAI spokesperson Lukman Ajayi said the operatives became concerned after discovering the mother and child in the canal. He said the baby was in poor health when they were found, prompting the officers to immediately remove them from the unsafe environment.

Ajayi said the mother was unable to give a satisfactory explanation for being in the canal. She reportedly told the operatives that she had been fleeing from her husband, who lives in FESTAC.

“Today, our operatives rescued a mother and her five-month-old baby girl from a canal at Abule-Ado during routine clearance operations on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway,” Ajayi said.

He added that both mother and child were taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention, particularly because of the baby’s condition. The circumstances surrounding how the pair ended up in the canal remain unclear.

The incident is the latest in a series of rescues involving mothers and young children found in unsafe conditions along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. It has renewed concerns about the vulnerability of families living or seeking refuge in hazardous environments and the need for stronger intervention beyond environmental enforcement.

On August 12, KAI reported rescuing four nursing mothers and their babies from an illegal dumpsite at Agboju. One of the children was just nine days old and was found in an environment affected by filth, poor air quality and limited access to basic necessities.

The repeated incidents highlight the need for environmental and social welfare agencies to work together to identify vulnerable families and provide access to healthcare, temporary shelter and other support, rather than allowing mothers and children to remain exposed to dangerous conditions.