Emergency Telephone Codes: South East Stakeholders call for intensive awareness
Some stakeholders in some parts of the South East geopolitical zone, have called for intensive sensitisation of the public on the availability of the nation’s emergency telephone codes that link the police, the military and others.
They made the call during a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) zonal survey on the “usage of the emergency telephone codes or numbers” in the country by the citizens.
An emergency telephone number is a number that allows a caller to contact local emergency services for assistance.
The emergency number differs from country to country; it is typically a three-digit number so that it can be easily remembered and dialed quickly.
Emergency calling allows police, fire departments, or other first responders to more quickly respond to an emergency at various locations.
VMT NEWS survey however, shows that many people do not know that there is a toll free number that they can call in case of emergencies in the country.
There is also a general apathy towards the nation’s emergency number in the state, NAN reports.
In Ebonyi, a legal practitioner, Mr Kenneth Okorie, said he was aware of the codes but urged for intensive sensitisation of the people on the usage.
According to Okorie, I am aware of the number but I have not tried calling it for once.
“Not everybody is aware of the code. The government at all levels should take the awareness campaign to the church, mosques, markets, schools among other public places,” he said.
Mrs Chinyere John, a businesswoman, expressed surprise on the information that the country had emergency telephone codes, noting that she knew nothing about it.
John said she would not have had trust on the code but urged for serious sensitisation of the general public on the need for the usage.
“Emergency telephone codes in Nigeria? Will it work and I don’t believe if any person have called such number here,” she added.
Mrs Amaka Onwe, a teacher, who said she is aware of the code, added that she had not called such a number.
“Yes, I heard that the line is active and functional but I have not tried calling it for emergencies. I remember when I attended a security workshop in 2021, where we were told about the code, 112,” she said.
Jude Okafor, a student in Ebonyi State University, said he heard about the code on radio, but doubted its effectiveness.
“Yes, but I have never seen people calling or whether it is working or not. I urge the government to make it more active and I believe it will go a long way in tackling insecurity and other emergency matters in the society,” Okafor added.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had in December, 2019 launched the 112 emergency number in 17 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
DSP Joshua Ukandu, a Police Personnel, Ebonyi Police Command said the number (112) is active, urging that it was necessary for the people to build up confidence in police operations.
Dr Ezekiel Igboji, a Human Rights Activist and National Coordinator, Justice and Right Foundation said the importance of emergency Telephone codes to nation building could not be over-emphasised.
Igboji urged the three tiers of government to make the number more active and functional in the efforts to tackle emergencies around homes and working places.
“It is very important that the number is active in terms of fire outbreak, armed robbery attack. This is a kind of distress call and advised that the number be made available to the public,” Igboji advised.
Also reacting, Mr Igwe Nnabuife, Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ebonyi Command, told NAN that the emergency code remained 112 and urged the general public to embrace the usage.
Nnabuife explained that the number is toll free and open for everyone in terms of emergencies.
“Very importantly, it’s toll free and nobody is charging you when you call. Even you, as a reporter, you can try it to validate your interview,” he added.
On whether people are aware of the code, the Sector Commander said awareness had been widely created over the years and it had been in use by the Corps in several cases.
The Head of Department, Legislative Matters in the Enugu State House of Assembly, Mrs Ann Ugochinyere, stressed the need for the effectiveness of the emergency numbers across the country.
Ugochinyere noted that the emergency numbers released by security agencies were not functional, as most times, such calls were not responded to during emergencies.
She regretted that most Nigerians were unaware of the numbers, while some who knew about the existence of the emergency numbers did not trust it enough to use it.
According to Ugochinyere, the security agencies should carry out massive awareness to inform Nigerians about the numbers and also go a step ahead to make it more functional and active.
She lamented that many criminal activities in the country would have been curbed if the emergency numbers were readily available for Nigerians to call and report criminal activities in real time.
The former Director of Public Health, Enugu State Ministry of Health, Dr Boniface Okoro, says the emergency security code in the state, which is 177, was highly efficient during the COVID-19 era.
Okoro told NAN that the code 177 was being operated by the Emergency and Friendship Call Centre under the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
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Okoro added that the call centre operated 24 hours, seven days a week, which made it easier for the public to report life threatening cases, emergencies and lodge complaints especially on ill-health conditions during the COVID-19 era.
He noted that the initiative complemented the services of the Enugu State Medical Emergency Response Department, other forms of emergency responses and it highlighted the activities of the government too.
Meanwhile, some residents, who spoke to NAN, expressed divergent views on the knowledge and usage of emergency code numbers in the state.
Corroborating the stance of Okoro, Mr Chidi Obinwa, a resident of Uwani in Enugu, testified that he had used the code 177 during the COVID-19 era to get ambulance help for his sick mother to Parklane Hospital, Enugu.
Mr Ayo Adebowale, a tailor in Agbani Road, said that during a fire breakout in his neighbourhood, he dialed the code 177 when he could not easily get anybody with the fire service number and he got timely help.
“Within seven minutes of my call to 177 three years ago, the fire service arrived in my neighbourhood and rescued a duplex that had a gas fire incident,” Adebowale said.
Miss Joan Ebube, an undergraduate, said that the number was only useful during COVID-19 as far as she could remember.
However, Mr Livinus Eke, a resident of Enugu, said that he had no idea of the state emergency number, adding that he was aware of the fire service and FSRC emergency phone numbers in case of an accident and fire outbreak.
Another resident, Mrs Gladys Ezekiel, said she had no knowledge of any kind of emergency code number in case of emergencies in the state.
Ezekiel stressed the need for short codes of three digits that would be easily remembered by residents noting that 11 digit numbers were not advisable for emergencies.
A security expert who pleaded anonymity, said that the Police’s 911 code number had been out of operation for many years, while the Army’s code 193 and the Federal Road Safety Corps Code 122 only worked while they were in special operations.
The expert noted that the NCC code 112 for emergency calls to Emergency Response Agencies, launched in the heat of insecurity during the then President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, is yet to live up to its expectation and seems jettisoned.
VMT NEWS gathered that emergency responding agencies such as the Federal/State fire services use short code 177 while Enugu State Police Command emergency call numbers are 08032003702, 08075390883, 08086671202, or 08098880172, or emails to infoenugupolice@gmail.com.
Meanwhile, some stakeholders and residents in Awka, Anambra, said that the 112 emergency number was effective as it guaranteed quick response and reduction of damages and fatalities in the state.
They said that the 112 emergency number helped residents reach out to the police, road safety corp, civil defence, fire service and the state emergency management agencies.
Mr Adeoye Irelewuyi, Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Anambra, told NAN that the emergency number was effective in Anambra as it aided prompt response to road crashes.
According to Irelewuyi, the chances of survival and reduction of fatalities is high to some extent when people call for emergency services using 112.
“I advise citizens to use the emergency number responsibly and when required,” Irelewuyi said.
Also speaking, Dr Martin Agbili, Director, Anambra State Fire Service, said the short code, 112 served as an umbrella number for all emergencies such as fire outbreaks, flood, road accidents and other disasters.
Agbili said it was effective in the state as it guaranteed speedy emergency response and reduction of damages and fatalities.
“When the public make a distress call using 112, it will be dispatched to the appropriate response agency based on the type of emergency. We have saved lives, businesses and property responding to such calls,” Agbili said.
Some residents in Awka told NAN that the 112 emergency number was durable and functional.
Mr Chidi Okpala, a civil servant said that he witnessed an accident along Nteje road in 2023, used the helpline and the FRSC officials responded within 20 minutes.
“FRSC officials came and rushed the accident victims to a nearby hospital while they also cleared the obstruction on the road to ease traffic.
“So, the emergency line is very effective but I do not know if it works outside Awka,” he said.
Another resident, Mrs Mary-Jane Ekeke, a trader at Eke Awka, told NAN that the emergency number was effective as she had used it twice.
“Yes, I have used it before when there was a fire at one of the shops along Eke Awka market few years ago. The fire truck came and put out the fire before it could spread to the entire building.
“The second time was when a man was stabbed along my street at Okpuno. The ambulance people responded but came late because the man was confirmed dead before they finally arrived the scene,” she said.
A 15-year-old Chidera Obinna said she learnt about the emergency lines when she was in junior secondary school (JSS-2).
“I heard about the emergency numbers 112 and 767 when we did Security Education in JSS class. I even tried the numbers with my mother’s phone and someone responded,” she said.
Meanwhile, a Human Rights Activist, Mr Osita Obi, said that many rural dwellers were not aware that such emergency numbers existed.
Obi urged the state government to intensify awareness about the emergency numbers especially at the rural areas.
He also urged resident not to abuse or call the numbers for fun to avoiding blocking calls from persons who needed rescue or response during emergency situations.
“Getting the right information to rescue agencies is vital for successful emergency management operations,” he said.
