The Lagos State Government will on Wednesday, arraign one Uzuokwu Solomon for offences relating to making hoax calls for the emergency responder.
This was confirmed by Ololade Agboola, the Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, in a statement released on Tuesday night.
Solomon, who is 18 years old, reportedly called the Fire Service's emergency line on Friday, April 14, 2023, at 5:35 pm from Harmony Estate in the Ajah area of the state, claiming there was a fire emergency within the estate. Emergency procedures were initiated, and fire trucks were dispatched from the Lekki Phase II Fire Service Station, only to arrive and find no fire in the estate. Following the frequency of such calls in the past, the Estate's security team assisted in the investigation, leading to the arrest of the culprit.
The offence committed by Solomon is punishable under the Lagos State Fire Service Law and Command and Control Centre Law of 2013. The arraignment is scheduled to take place at Ogba Magistrate court on April 19, 2023, at 9:00 am.
In response to the arrest, Mrs. Margaret Adeseye, the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, expressed her satisfaction and reiterated the state government's stance on false emergency calls. Mrs. Adeseye believes that the arrest and subsequent trial will serve as a warning to other individuals who engage in such behavior.
Ololade added that there has been an astronomical increase in false emergency calls in the last six months, and it is a worrying trend that needs to be addressed.
