Lagos Raises Alarm Over Emergency Line Abuse

More than 12 million nuisance calls were recorded in 2025 by the emergency response system in Lagos, sparking fresh concerns about the persistent misuse of the state’s toll-free emergency lines.

The General Manager of the Emergency Command and Control Centre, Femi Giwa, disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

Giwa lamented the high number of prank and false alerts, noting that the trend continues to undermine the efficiency of emergency responders and delay assistance to people facing genuine distress.

He revealed that, within the year under review, the centre logged over 12 million nuisance calls in addition to more than three million abandoned calls.

“These calls consume valuable time meant for genuine emergencies and, in some cases, delay life-saving interventions,” he said.

He said the centre serves as a central coordination hub for first responders across the state, managing real-time communication and deployment.

According to him, it manages real-time communication and response coordination for agencies including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Ambulance Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency.

He said residents could access emergency services through the toll-free numbers 112 and 767, which connect directly to the command and control centre.

“When a call comes in, our agents process and escalate the information within two minutes to the relevant agency for dispatch.

“However, when the lines are tied up with prank calls, it becomes difficult for those in real distress to get through promptly,” he said.

Giwa said false distress reports sometimes led to unnecessary deployment of ambulances, fire trucks and security personnel, thereby diverting resources from actual incidents.

He noted that with Lagos population estimated at over 20 million, the centre had decentralised its assets, including more than 230 ambulance points and over 230 fire stations, to ensure rapid response.

“Strategic positioning allows first responders to arrive at scenes within five to 10 minutes in many cases, but that efficiency depends largely on responsible use of the emergency lines,” he said.

Giwa appealed to residents to desist from prank, test or abusive calls and to provide accurate information when reporting emergencies.

“The misuse of emergency numbers is not a harmless act. It can cost lives.

“We urge residents to be responsible and allow the system to function effectively for everyone,” he said.

He added that strategic positioning of response units enables first responders to arrive at incident scenes within five to 10 minutes in many cases.

The general manager appealed to residents to use the emergency lines responsibly and give the right of way to emergency vehicles.

“When you see something, say something, but be responsible. The misuse of emergency lines can cost lives,” he said.