BY MONSUR OLOWOOPEJO
LAGOS—Lagos State Government, Thursday, said it had released about 88 babies for local and international adoptions.

The Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Youth and Social Development Dr. Dolapo Badru who disclosed this during a briefing, said the state government released the babies after screening over 1200 applicants for adoption.

Giving the statistics at a joint briefing with Commissioner For Sports, Youth and Social Development Mr. Enitan Oshodi, Badru said “ 88 babies were released for adoption while 87 adoption were legalized through family courts, 62 were local, 20 international and five were relative international adoption. One fostering order was extended at the family court.

“The state government is committed to ensuring that adequate care and protection are provided for vulnerable children, abandoned homeless, abused or other children whose right and privileges as stipulated by the Child Rights Law have been trampled upon,” Badru said.

According to him, about 2,217 beggars and destitute were rescued on the streets of Lagos to rid the metropolis of their menace, saying “In realization of state government’s policy on ridding the streets of Lagos of beggars and destitute, who constitutes a social nuisance and towards the realization of Lagos as a mega city, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development embarked on aggressive rescue of beggars, mentally challenged and destitute from the streets of Lagos and over –head bridges”.