The Lagos State Government has warned residents against making fake calls to its Command and Control Centre, saying the trend is increasingly disrupting emergency response operations across the state.

The warning was issued during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing in Ikeja on Monday, as part of activities marking seven years of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

Commissioner for Special Duties, Olugbenga Oyerinde, said the abuse of emergency lines had reached an alarming level, with millions of calls recorded over the period under review.

According to him, 24.15 million calls were received between January 2025 and April 2026, out of which 16.39 million were identified as fake, representing about 67.9 per cent of total calls.

Oyerinde described the figures as deeply concerning, warning that false calls waste critical response time and could cost lives during genuine emergencies.

“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 struggle to distinguish real distress situations from prank calls, a challenge that can delay responses to fire outbreaks, accidents, and medical emergencies.

The commissioner urged parents, schools, and community leaders to sensitise young people on the importance of responsible use of emergency communication lines.

Also speaking, the General Manager of the Command and Control Centre, Femi Kennedy-Giwa, said repeated prank calls from single numbers were affecting operational efficiency and public confidence.

According to him, such behaviour often prevents genuine callers from receiving timely assistance.

“Such calls prevent genuine callers from receiving immediate attention. We must do better as residents of Lagos,” he said.

He assured that public awareness campaigns would continue across the state to address the challenge.

Oyerinde also disclosed that fire outbreaks remained the most common emergencies in 2025, with authorities recording significant losses as well as successful rescue operations.

He said 1,972 genuine emergencies were recorded during the year, out of which 1,685 were fire-related incidents.

According to him, emergency responders saved properties worth N118.32bn and rescued 1,924 victims alive, while properties worth N19.72bn were lost.

Road accidents accounted for 394 incidents, while truck and tanker-related crashes made up 249 cases.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency handled 1,156 emergencies, while 173 bodies were recovered from collapsed buildings and flood-related incidents.

He added that ambulance teams responded to 1,382 medical emergencies as part of expanding pre-hospital care services across the state.

On infrastructure and enforcement, the Lagos State Safety Commission conducted inspections across thousands of sites, with over 2,800 facilities facing enforcement actions.

More than 100 businesses were sealed for safety violations, while construction sites, factories, oil facilities, hotels, and haulage operations were also inspected.

The government also procured 62 firefighting vehicles and completed new fire stations in Ebute-Elefun and Ijegun-Egba, with additional stations under construction in Oworonshoki, Yaba, and Ikotun.

Officials said the measures are part of broader efforts to strengthen emergency preparedness and improve public safety across Lagos State.