Lagos Assembly Proposes Two-Year Jail Term For Assault On Firemen

• The lawmaker said the bill would empower the state fire service to investigate and respond to complaints from members of the public on matters that could lead to the outbreak of fire or other related emergencies.

Lagos House of Assembly has recommended two years’ imprisonment for a person or persons obstructing fire fighting or assaulting firefighters.

The assembly made the recommendation in its proposed state fire service bill.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Special Duties, Mr Raheem Kazeem made the disclosure at a one-day public hearing on the bill on Friday.

The public hearing was conducted by the House of Assembly.

It is reported that the bill is titled: “A Bill for a Law to Establish the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and for Connected Purposes”.

According to Kazeem, the bill proposes that any person or group of people obstructing, assaulting or resisting fire service personnel shall be fined N500,000 or sentenced to a jail term of two years or both, for an individual.

He submitted that the fine for a corporate body should be five million Naira.

According to the lawmaker, failure to yield right of way to engines or other mobile fire-fighting equipment as required by the law is an offence and, on conviction, the accused shall be liable to a fine not exceeding N100,000 or a prison term not exceeding six months or both.

The lawmaker noted that the bill also provided for prohibition and control of the use of materials classified as fire hazards in the erection, alteration, improvement or repair of any building or other structures.

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The lawmaker said the bill would empower the state fire service to investigate and respond to complaints from members of the public on matters that could lead to the outbreak of fire or other related emergencies.

He noted that the agency would charge fees annually for service rendered other than extinguishing fires, at the rate prescribed under the schedules of the law.

Kazeem said the rate should be reviewed periodically.

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