The Lagos State Government has issued a strong warning to residents over the growing trend of fake and unnecessary calls to its Command and Control Centre, saying the practice is undermining emergency response operations across the state.
The warning was issued during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held in Ikeja on Monday, part of activities marking seven years of the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Speaking at the briefing, the Commissioner for Special Duties, Olugbenga Oyerinde, said the misuse of emergency communication lines had reached alarming levels, with millions of calls proving to be false, prank, or unnecessary.
According to him, between January 2025 and April 2026, the Command and Control Centre received 24.15 million calls, out of which 16.39 million—representing 67.9%—were identified as fake.
Oyerinde described the figures as disturbing, stressing that every wasted call delays responses to genuine emergencies such as fire outbreaks, road accidents, and medical crises.
“It is disturbing that people call simply to test whether our lines work. Our lines work, but every wasted minute can cost lives,” he said.
He added that emergency operators often face difficulty distinguishing between genuine distress calls and prank calls, a situation that can significantly delay intervention during critical incidents.
The Commissioner urged parents, schools, and community leaders to educate young people on the importance of responsible use of emergency communication channels, noting that it is a vital public safety responsibility.
Also speaking, the General Manager of the Command and Control Centre, Femi Kennedy-Giwa, expressed concern over repeated prank calls from single phone numbers, saying such behaviour reduces operational efficiency and public trust in the system.
He assured residents that awareness campaigns would be intensified across Lagos to address the issue.
Meanwhile, Oyerinde revealed that fire incidents remained the most common emergencies in 2025, with responders saving properties worth N118.32 billion while N19.72 billion worth of assets were lost.
He also stated that 1,924 victims were rescued alive from various emergencies, while 1,972 genuine emergency cases were recorded during the year, 1,685 of which were fire-related.
Road traffic accidents accounted for 394 incidents, while truck and tanker-related crashes contributed 249 cases.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency handled 1,156 emergencies, and 173 bodies were recovered from collapsed buildings and flood-related disasters.
Ambulance services also responded to 1,382 medical emergencies, reflecting growing demand for pre-hospital care across the state.
On enforcement, the Lagos State Safety Commission intensified inspections, sealing over 100 businesses and sanctioning more than 2,800 sites for safety violations, including restaurants, supermarkets, construction sites, factories, and oil facilities.
Oyerinde further disclosed that 62 firefighting vehicles had been procured to strengthen emergency response capacity, while new fire stations had been completed in Ebute-Elefun and Ijegun-Egba, with additional stations under construction in Oworonshoki, Yaba, and Ikotun.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building a safer and more responsive emergency system, urging residents to treat emergency lines with responsibility and seriousness.
