Live TV Drama As Nigeria’s 112 Emergency Line Fails Test Despite APC Chieftain’s Hype

An awkward drama unfolded on live television after Nigeria’s national emergency number, 112, repeatedly failed to connect during a live test by Channels Television presenter, Seun Okinbaloye, despite assurances by an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Alwan Hassan, that the service was operational.

The incident occurred on Tuesday night during Channels Television’s “Politics Today “programme, where Hassan, a member / spokesperson of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, had praised the emergency number as one of the achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

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Hassan, who had highlighted the improved response time to emergencies as one of the President Bola Ahmed Tinunu administration’s achievements, encouraged Okinbaloye to dial the number during Tuesday night’s edition of the programme to demonstrate its effectiveness.

He explained that the emergency communication centres were designed to respond immediately to distress calls based on the caller’s location, with the relevant centre in each state or location receiving the call and dispatching appropriate responders.

While explaining how the service works, Hassan challenged Okinbaloye to dial 112 and put his phone on speaker, insisting that callers would be connected to emergency responders in their respective locations.

“Take your phone and call 112. Nobody knows about this. We used to hear it in America, 911. Call 112 now, put it on the speaker, and they’ll ask you what’s your emergency…If you call from Enugu, you get response from there. Same goes with Abuja , Kano , and other states. Thanks to APC government,” he said.

However, the much-publicised demonstration took an unexpected turn when Okinbaloye attempted to call the number but could not get through.

“This number is not working,” the presenter said, as the failed connection contradicted the chieftain’s earlier assurances.

Hassan who initially suggested that the failure could be network-related and insisted that the emergency line was functional, in a bid to prove his point, also attempted to dial the number several times but equally failed to get through.

But Okinbaloye immediately pushed back, explaining that other calls were connecting from the same location. He also disclosed that viewers were sending messages indicating that they, too, could not reach the emergency number.

The APC chieftain subsequently attempted to defend his claims, insisting that he had called 112 several times and that it had worked on previous occasions.

He explained that calls to the number were supposed to be received by emergency communication centres in callers’ respective locations, where operators would establish the nature of the emergency and contact the appropriate responders.

According to Hassan, “medical emergencies would be referred to ambulance services, while security-related incidents would be forwarded to the nearest police station.”

He further disclosed that the government was developing a system that would enable emergency centres to identify callers’ locations through a central dashboard, making it easier for responders to locate people in distress.

Hassan said the Abuja emergency communication centre was ready but that President Tinubu had directed that it should not be officially launched until centres across the country were properly aligned.

He expressed optimism that the nationwide arrangement would be completed by March next year.

When Okinbaloye suggested that the emergency number might be another government initiative that was yet to become fully operational, he referenced what he described as a long list of unfulfilled promises.

Hassan, however, maintained that the administration would deliver on its promises with time.

“We’ll fulfil them. We’ll fulfil them with time. This is why we’re asking for more time,” he said.

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Interestingly, the failed demonstration has placed Hassan at the centre of two separate controversial television moments involving claims about the Tinubu administration within weeks.

On October 22, 2026, the APC Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson , sparked another controversy during an interview on ARISE News, where he alleged that some ministers pay billions of naira to secure ministerial appointments and subsequently focus on recovering the money after assuming office.

Speaking during the interview while defending Tinubu’s approach to managing government revenue and expenditure, Hassan said some political appointees allegedly see ministerial positions as investments from which they must recover their financial outlay.

“A lot of ministers pay billions and billions, and you know, to get themselves appointed. The first thing they think of is how to recoup that money,” he said.

The statement generated widespread attention, particularly because it came from a spokesperson of the ruling party’s Presidential Campaign Council while defending the President’s administration.

However, Hassan subsequently clarified that he was not referring exclusively to ministers serving under the APC-led government, arguing that the alleged practice predated the party’s emergence into power.

“It is a truth I’m telling you about our country. Not just APC, before APC,” he said.

He did not identify any minister allegedly involved, name anyone who supposedly received the payments or provide documentary evidence to substantiate the claim during the interview.

The two television appearances have now generated separate public discussions: one over his allegations about the financial transactions allegedly associated with securing ministerial appointments, and the other over the failure of the 112 emergency number during a live demonstration he personally encouraged.

The latest incident has also renewed questions about the readiness and accessibility of Nigeria’s national emergency response system, particularly the reliability of a number citizens are expected to depend on during life-threatening situations.

LEADERSHIP reports that for a service designed to provide immediate assistance during medical, security, fire and other emergencies, the inability to establish a connection during a live television demonstration is bound to attract public scrutiny.

Although Hassan maintained that the service had worked for him previously, the failed demonstration has brought renewed attention to the need for a reliable and accessible nationwide emergency response system.