By Joyce Babaeyju
The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has said that the recent earth tremors experienced in parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), especially areas around Mpape and Katampe Extension pose no significant threat.
The NGSA stated this in a statement on Wednesday by its Director-General, Professor Olusegun Ige.
Prof. Ige disclosed that the agency has been monitoring the tremors since Friday, September 13.
According to him the NGSA monitored the tremors and found that approximately 48 separate earthquake events have been recorded, with both intensity and frequency increasing between September 13-16.
The statement said preliminary analysis showed that the sources of the ground motions are less than 5 km away from the monitoring station.
It added that the NGSA team visited the affected areas for on-the-spot assessments and concluded that the tremors result from accumulated stress along identified faults, releasing seismic energy. Multiple epicentres were identified, with most located northeast of the NGSA-5 Seismic Station around Mpape axis.
Professor Ige clarified that the intensities of the tremors are weak to light, ranging from III – IV on the Modified Mercalli Scale, posing a very low-level threat.
The full statement is as follows:
“The Monitoring Station (NGSA-5) at Katampe has been capturing several significant ground motions with high moment magnitudes (Mw) in the past five days, beginning from September 13, 2024 till date.
Only one mild event was recorded on September 13th. Six of these events were captured on the 14th of September, while over 21 events were captured on the 15th with higher intensities. More than twenty events were recorded on the 16th of September. The intensity and frequency of the tremor appear to increase from the 13th to 16th September. There are a few weak events recorded today, 17th September.
Preliminary analysis of the waveforms showed that the sources of the ground motions are less than 5 km away from the monitoring station.
NGSA team also visited the affected areas for on-the-spot assessments of the events. From the accounts of the residents of the affected areas, the observations by the NGSA team, and findings from earlier interpretations of the airborne geophysical data over the area and adjoining areas, the following conclusions were made:
The tremors are a result of accumulated stress along the identified faults and released seismic energy, which may have traveled through associated fractures to areas where the tremors were felt around the FCT.
There are multiple epicenters associated with the recent tremor. Most of the epicenters are located northeast of the NGSA-5 Seismic Station around Mpape axis, while a few are located southwest of the Station around Katampe axis
The intensities of the tremors are weak to light, ranging from III – IV on the Modified Mercalli Scale, and pose a very low level threat.
The residents of Mpape, Katampe, Maitama, and other areas where the tremors were felt are advised not to panic as the tremors can be generally described as low. The Agency is keeping a close monitoring of the situation and will provide updates as may become necessary.
The general public should also be aware that the NGSA Seismic Stations are being monitored in real time to ensure prompt alerts on any major event.
However residents of the FCT living in the affected areas have attributed the earth tremor to illegal rock blasting being carried out by developers in the affected areas.
An official of the Katampe Extension residents Association who spoke with our correspondent, but refuse to have his name in print as according to him, the association would soon make an official statement on the issue said that illegal developers have taken over the Katampe hills and are using dynamite indiscriminately to blast and level the rocky formation.
“This rock blasting has significant long-term effects on the structural integrity of nearby houses and vibrations and shockwaves generated by these activities can potentially lead to cracks and other structural issues in residential properties. The indiscriminate and unregulated blasting has seriously disrupted our natural landscape and now these series of earth tremor which we have never witnessed before until these land grabbers invaded Katampe extension”.
He noted that in the past the Katampe Association Residents Association had made series of representation to the FCT minister and the FCDA, but the activities of the land grabbers have continue unabated which is now threatening the entire district. “I like to use this opportunity to once again call on the honorable minister of the FCT Barrister Nyesome Wike to come to our aid and save Katampe extension from these mindless individuals”
