The Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police, Haruna Garba, has lamented that some undisclosed persons drop the command’s emergency numbers with loan shark companies to obtain loans.
Garba stated this in a statement by the command spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, on Friday.
He also said non-state actors had also been engaging the emergency lines.
The Commissioner of Police, however, warned those behind the acts to desist, saying that the police would ensure they are brought to book.
It partly read, “In the same vein, the CP enjoins non-state actors who have been engaging the Police emergency lines in their mischievous posts, aimed at misleading members of the public and those submitting same to obtain loans to desist from such and only use the emergency lines for its intended purpose as deliberate steps will be taken to arrest and prosecute the purveyors of these illegal acts.”
Garba also denied a viral report that kidnappers wore police uniforms to abduct 17 residents in the Apo area of Abuja.
“The Commissioner of Police FCT hereby wish to inform members of the public that contrary to the falsehood making the rounds on media platforms alleging that kidnappers who adorned the Police uniform to perpetrate their illicit acts have kidnapped 17 persons from the Apo area in Abuja is a figment of the author’s imagination as no incident of such happened within the FCT,” the statement added.
She said the CP urged residents to cooperate with the police for improved service delivery.
The Impact on Emergency Response
The misuse of the police emergency numbers for loan acquisition has significant consequences for emergency response in the FCT. When individuals tie up the emergency lines with loan requests, it hampers the ability of the police to promptly respond to genuine emergencies. Every second counts in emergency situations, and any delay caused by the misuse of the emergency lines can have dire consequences.
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Emergency response operators are trained to handle emergency calls efficiently and dispatch the necessary assistance promptly. However, when the lines are clogged with loan requests, it diverts resources and attention away from genuine emergencies. This can result in delayed response times and increased risks to the public’s lives and property.
Meanwhile,the Federal Government through the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC has said it will release a list of illegal digital loan apps operating in Nigeria.
In a statement signed by the Executive Vice Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer, Babatunde Irukera, the FCCPC said, the commission has also placed digital money lenders that have refused or failed to register under the guidelines on its watchlist for strict surveillance and necessary action.
It also said it would delist two legal loan apps from Google Play Store for harassing Nigerians, adding that the list of those digital money lenders will be made available on the commission’s website.
The commission advised Nigerians to exercise restraint and discretion in selecting digital money lenders and specifically, recommended that consumers only patronise digital lenders on its approved list to avoid falling victim to illegal and prohibited lending and recovery practices.
