The Lagos State Government has cautioned residents against making prank and unnecessary calls to the state’s emergency response centre, warning that the trend is affecting efforts to respond quickly to real emergencies.
The warning was issued on Monday during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held in Ikeja as part of activities marking Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s seven years in office.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Special Duties, Olugbenga Oyerinde, described the growing misuse of emergency lines as alarming and dangerous.
According to him, the Lagos Command and Control Centre received about 24.15 million calls between January 2025 and April 2026, out of which 16.39 million were identified as fake or irrelevant calls.
Oyerinde said the figure represents nearly 68 per cent of all calls received during the period, stressing that the abuse of emergency lines could put lives at risk.
He lamented that some residents deliberately call emergency numbers merely to test if the lines are functioning.
“Our emergency lines are active, but every second wasted on fake calls could delay help for people facing life-threatening situations,” he said.
The commissioner explained that emergency operators often struggle to distinguish genuine distress calls from prank calls, leading to delays in responding to fires, accidents and medical emergencies.
He urged parents, schools and community leaders to educate young people on the importance of using emergency communication responsibly.
Also speaking, the General Manager of the Command and Control Centre, Femi Kennedy-Giwa, expressed concern over repeated prank calls from certain phone numbers, noting that the trend weakens operational efficiency and public trust in emergency services.
He warned that fake alerts prevent genuine callers from receiving urgent attention when needed.
Kennedy-Giwa added that the government would continue public sensitisation campaigns across the state to address the issue.
Meanwhile, Oyerinde revealed that fire incidents remained the most common emergency recorded in Lagos in 2025.
According to him, emergency responders successfully saved properties valued at about ₦118.32 billion, while losses from various incidents were estimated at ₦19.72 billion.
He also disclosed that 1,924 people were rescued alive from different emergencies during the period.
The commissioner said Lagos recorded 1,972 genuine emergency incidents in 2025, with 1,685 linked to fire outbreaks.
He explained that March witnessed the highest number of emergencies with 210 cases, mainly due to dry weather conditions, while August recorded the lowest number because of increased rainfall.
Oyerinde further stated that Alimosho Local Government recorded the highest number of incidents with 180 cases, followed by Eti-Osa with 156 and Ikeja with 139.
Road accidents accounted for 394 cases, while truck and tanker crashes made up 249 incidents.
He added that the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency handled 1,156 emergencies, while 173 bodies were recovered from incidents including building collapses and flood disasters.
Medical emergencies, pipeline leakages and ship fires were also reported, with ambulance teams responding to 1,382 medical cases across the state.
According to the commissioner, the Lagos State Safety Commission intensified enforcement operations, carrying out actions on more than 2,800 facilities over safety violations.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that over 100 businesses, including supermarkets and restaurants, were sealed for failing to comply with safety regulations.
Oyerinde said inspections and safety audits were also conducted at construction sites, factories, hotels, haulage companies and oil facilities.
To strengthen emergency response capacity, he disclosed that the government acquired 62 firefighting trucks and equipment.
He added that new fire stations had been completed in Ebute-Elefun and Ijegun-Egba, while construction work continues in Oworonshoki, Yaba and Ikotun.
The commissioner reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to improving public safety and emergency preparedness across Lagos.
(NAN)
