The Lagos State government said it has rescued no fewer than 62 abandoned babies in its metropolis – 28 males and 34 females – in the last one year.
The state’s commissioner for youth, sports and social development, Mr. Enitan Oshodi, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Lagos, added that some of the babies were picked up from different locations after calls from concerned citizens or brought in by well-meaning individuals.
Enitan, who was represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Mr. Adesegun Oshinyimika, said the rescued babies were being well taken care of by the relevant homes under the supervision of the ministry.
He said: “The state government is committed to ensuring that adequate care and protection are provided for children who have been made vulnerable by abandonment, homelessness or any form of abuse, as well as other children whose rights and privileges as stipulated by the Child Rights Law have been trampled upon.
“The child protection unit is responsible for the rescue and referral of all abandoned babies and ‘lost but found’ children in the state-registered orphanages”.
Oshodi added that the ministry had recruited more liaison officers in the six education districts of the state, under its school social services department, in order to bring socio-moral stability to public secondary schools.
This innovation, he revealed, was to identify, manage and adjust bad behaviour among students through counseling, to ultimately stem the rising wave or crime within the school population.
