The Lagos State Government has raised serious concerns over the growing number of fake and prank emergency calls being made to the state’s emergency response centres, warning that the trend is putting lives and property at risk. Officials revealed that millions of unnecessary calls have been received within the past year, creating major distractions for emergency personnel and delaying responses to genuine distress situations.
The warning was issued during the ongoing ministerial press briefing commemorating the second year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office. Government representatives explained that the state’s emergency infrastructure, which includes the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), fire services, ambulance operations, and the command-and-control centres, has continued to expand in order to meet the demands of Africa’s most populous city.
According to officials, emergency hotlines are meant strictly for urgent situations such as road accidents, fire outbreaks, medical emergencies, flooding, building collapses, security threats, and other disasters requiring immediate intervention. However, a significant percentage of calls received daily are reportedly prank calls, repeated hang-ups, or non-emergency inquiries that consume valuable time and resources.
Authorities disclosed that between January 2025 and April 2026, more than 16 million fake or irrelevant calls were recorded by the emergency communication centres. The government stressed that every second matters during emergencies and warned that unnecessary calls could prevent emergency teams from attending promptly to residents who genuinely need urgent assistance.
The state government noted that Lagos continues to face various urban challenges due to its rapidly increasing population and expanding infrastructure. Emergency responders have recently handled incidents involving flooding caused by heavy rainfall, road traffic crashes, market fires, and collapsed structures in different parts of the state. Officials said improving response time remains one of the key priorities of the administration, but public cooperation is necessary for the system to function effectively.
Residents were therefore urged to use emergency numbers responsibly and educate family members, especially children, on the importance of avoiding prank calls. The government also encouraged citizens to provide accurate information whenever reporting emergencies to enable responders to act quickly and efficiently.
The Sanwo-Olu administration reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening emergency response systems through improved technology, better communication equipment, additional rescue personnel, and enhanced collaboration among security and disaster-management agencies. Officials emphasized that protecting lives and property remains a major responsibility of the state government, adding that public support is essential in achieving safer communities across Lagos.
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