The Federal Fire Service (FFS), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, has warned that individuals who attack firefighters while responding to emergencies will face prosecution.
The warning followed an incident on Friday in which suspected hoodlums attacked firefighters responding to a distress call in the Gwarimpa area of Abuja, leaving one crew member injured.
The command’s spokesperson, Barnabas Anyam, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, condemning the assault on the emergency responders.
According to him, firefighters from the Kubwa Metropolitan Fire Station were attending to a fire emergency after receiving a distress call from a female resident on Friday morning when the incident occurred.
He said the attackers pelted the firefighters with stones, injuring one of the crew members, who was subsequently taken to a hospital for medical attention.
Anyam added that the incident had been reported to the Galadima Police Station, while the suspected attackers had reportedly been arrested and were being investigated.
The FCT Controller of the FFS, Muhammad Anas, expressed concern over repeated attacks on firefighters while carrying out their statutory duties.
Anas stressed that emergency responders should be allowed to perform their responsibilities without intimidation, harassment or physical assault.
He warned that anyone found attacking or obstructing firefighters at emergency scenes would face the full weight of the law.
The controller also appealed to residents of the FCT to recognise and support the work of firefighters, particularly during emergency operations.
He urged members of the public involved in such misconduct to desist, reaffirming the command’s commitment to providing prompt and effective emergency response services across the territory.
(NAN)
