Senate proposes single nationwide toll-free emergency number


The Senate has moved a step closer to reforming Nigeria’s emergency response system with the consideration of a bill seeking to establish a single, toll-free national emergency number for all citizens. The proposed legislation, titled A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Emergency Toll Service (NETS), scaled second reading during plenary on Tuesday.

 

Sponsor of the bill, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua (APC, Katsina Central), said the intention is to replace Nigeria’s multiple emergency helplines with one unified three-digit number, likely “112,” depending on recommendations from the public hearing. He told lawmakers that Nigeria’s current system, which involves separate numbers for the police, fire service, ambulances, domestic violence desks, child protection units and disaster agencies, has created widespread confusion during emergencies.

 

Yar’Adua said the reform would ensure that “calls and text messages will be routed automatically to the nearest emergency response centre,” noting that the system would leverage the country’s nearly 90 per cent mobile phone penetration to guarantee accessibility.

 

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin described the bill as a timely intervention, saying it would “significantly improve public safety once implemented.”

 

The bill was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Communications, with a directive to submit its report within four weeks.

Popular posts from this blog

"Somalia is not a nation" Its people walking around, killing each other " - Trump drags Somalia

Image
US President Donald Trump has intensified his attacks on Somali immigrants for a second consecutive day, claiming they have “destroyed Minnesota” and “destroyed our country.” His remarks come amid growing criticism that he is using inflammatory language toward migrant communities.   Speaking to reporters, Trump described Minnesota as “a hellhole right now,” asserting that Somali residents “should be out of here” and that “all they do is complain.” His comments follow recent fraud cases involving individuals of Somali descent accused in Covid relief schemes that netted more than $1 billion. Minnesota is home to roughly 80,000 Somali Americans. Trump’s rhetoric coincides with the start of a new immigration crackdown in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area. A senior law enforcement official said Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not specifically targeting Somalis, though some may be arrested if they are found to have violated immigration laws. The president also escalated hi...
Read more

Former Super Falcons coach Waldrum questions NFF over use of $960,000 FIFA World Cup grant

Image
Former Super Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum has challenged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to explain how it spent the $960,000 he insists FIFA disbursed to all participating nations in October 2022 for preparations ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.    In a video that has gone viral on social media, Waldrum accused the federation of failing to organise a proper pre-tournament training camp despite receiving the grant. “I have a real close contact here in the US that is very connected with some of the board at FIFA. This person told me that in October, every country was given $960,000 from FIFA to prepare for the World Cup. Where is that money?” he asked.   Waldrum criticised what he described as poor planning around the team’s October 2022 friendly in Japan, saying the logistics left his squad physically exhausted. “We went to Japan, we flew in, played the game, and went home. Some of our players didn’t arrive until...
Read more

Nigerian woman take photos as she models online

Image
A Nigerian woman has gone viral online after boldly shooting her shot at a man she admired on the platform.   The woman identified as Sade, publicly expressed her interest, noting that she sees him as “a man of value” and would love the chance to get to know him better.   Shortly after her message gained attention, the man, named Tunde responded. He began by commending her courage and acknowledging that they had interacted a few times on the app. However, he politely declined her advances, explaining that he would not be able to pursue further conversations at the moment.
Read more

Any police officer escorting VIP is on illegal duty and will be arrested - Force Spokesman

Image
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has warned that any police officer found providing escort or protection for Very Important Persons (VIPs) will be arrested, describing such assignments as “illegal duty” under the current directive of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.   The spokesperson of the police force, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this while speaking on Channels TV on Tuesday, December 2.   Hundeyin stressed that the enforcement operation is fully underway, emphasising that all officers attached to VIP protection duties have been withdrawn.   “The enforcement is on. The IGP gave the directive that any police officer found escorting VIPs be arrested because, definitely, he is on illegal duty. Every one of them has been recalled'' Hundeyin said   The police PRO stated that the IGP had issued strict orders to senior police commanders to withdraw all officers previously assigned to VIPs.   Quoting the IGP’s instruction, Hunde...
Read more