LAGOS, Nigeria – A magistrates court in Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos State, on Friday, April 28, 2023, sentenced a teenager, Solomon Uzuokwu, to one-month imprisonment for repeatedly making hoax calls to emergency responders, disrupting peace and misdirecting vital resources.
The defendant, Uzuokwu, was convicted on two counts of bridging the public peace and making a hoax fire emergency call.
Magistrate Bambo Odueke, in delivering the sentence, offered an option of a fine and a mandate for a month of community service campaigning against false calls within the state’s jurisdiction. Uzuokwu chose to pay the fine after pleading guilty to the charges.
The Director of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, celebrated the swift court action as a deterrent to potential hoax callers.
In a statement signed by the deputy director of public affairs of the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service, Agboola Ololade, Adeseye acknowledged the importance of the ruling in upholding the integrity of the firefighting profession and protecting the efficacy of their service delivery.
Adeseye added, “We have noted a reduction in false calls since the start of this case. We will collaborate with the convicted teenager during his community service to reach a broader audience and discourage this harmful behaviour.”
The incident that led to Uzuokwu’s arrest occurred on April 14, 2023, when he falsely reported a fire emergency in Harmony Estate, Langbasa, Ajah, Lagos.
This hoax call resulted in the dispatch of the Lekki Phase II Fire Service Station, wasting vital resources and time when an actual emergency could have arisen.
Uzuokwu first appeared in court on April 19, and the case was adjourned until today for a swift resolution, demonstrating the seriousness with which the justice system is treating such offences.
