By Stanley Onyekwere
A total of 1,793 lives were rescued from various disasters, including floods, fire incidences and building collapses, from 24 calls received on FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) toll-free number 112, in 2023.
A breakdown of the figure show that 1,373 were rescued from various flood disasters, 173 lives saved from five building collapse distress calls and 247 lives saved from major fire outbreaks, from five calls through the FEMA’s112-toll free number.
Also, the Agency disclosed that as October, 2023, it saved about 90 Million Naira worth of properties and provided humanitarian aid that impacted 400 households in the FCT within the year under review.
Reeling out the figures during an end-of-year media parley in Abuja, Acting Director General (DG) of FEMA, Ibrahim Sabo, however, added that 12 lives were unfortunately lost from the various disasters: 4 from flood disasters, 6 from building collapse, and 2 to fire outbreaks.
Sabo said: “During the year under review 2023, FEMA saved 1793 lives through 24 calls on its 112-emergency toll-free number. 12 lives were however lost. A breakdown of the search and rescue activities in 2023 are 1373 lives rescued from various flood disasters; 4 lives were however lost. Building collapse: 173 lives saved from 5 calls, 6 lives lost. Major fire outbreaks: 247 lives saved from 5 calls through the 112 toll-free number. 2 lives lost.
“As of October 2023, we were able to save N90m worth of properties across all types of disasters within the FCT, but I can’t give you the figures as of now. When the figures are available, I will let you know”.
Furthermore, the DG revealed that the FEMA in August, working together with the National Economic Livelihood Emergency Intervention, the National Emergency Management Agency, and the Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat, distributed food and non-food items across the 6 area councils of the FCT to 8403 beneficiaries in an exercise that lasted three weeks.
According to him: “The total number of items distributed were as follows; 1000 yam seedlings, 2930 food items comprising rice, beans, maize, garri, guinea corn, groundnut oil, Maggi, salt etc; 544 non-food items comprising mattresses, blankets, mosquito nets, stoves, buckets, cooking pots; 1140 grinding machines; 1139 sewing machines; 1650 rice and maize seedlings.”
On its action plan for 2024, the FEMA’s DG said it intends to partner with the National Defense College (NDC) on the training of volunteers, to equip them with basic and professional rescue skills.
“Our rainy season campaign will focus on sensitising residents on what to do before the rains, during the rains and after the rains.
“I assure FCT residents on our commitment to the protection of lives and property as well as our determination to reduce our response time of 5 minutes from the point of call”, he stressed.
