Make a false phone call in Lagos and go to jail!

Yes oo! you read the caption right...A new law passed by the Lagos state house of assembly states that anybody who makes a false emergency call to an agency of the state government will face 3 years in jail or pay a fine of N500,000.

The law also applies to staff of the agency, any staff that uses an emergency line for personal calls will face the same punishment.

Section 18 (1) of the law , which has 25 sections, states:

“Any person who knowingly gives or causes to be given a false alarm to a person acting on behalf of the centre or who uses the emergency telephone lines in any way other than those stipulated (in the law) shall be guilty of an offence and liable upon conviction to a fine of N500,000 or to imprisonment for a term of three years.

“In lieu of or in addition to any sentence imposed by virtue of this section, the court may order the offender to perform community service for such a period as the court may determine''

The law was passed after it scaled the third reading, to give legal backing to the state Emergency Command and Control Centre, regulates phone calls to the centre and provides for other connected purposes.The agency recieves emergency calls  through 767 and 112 concerning any incident that requires attention. It would then process the information and inform relevant safety and emergency services providers within the state.