NGSA Addresses Concerns Over Recent Earth Tremors in Abuja
The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has sought to reassure residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) regarding recent earth tremors, emphasizing that there is no cause for alarm.
In a statement on Wednesday, NGSA Director-General Professor Olusegun Ige confirmed that the tremors, which occurred from September 13 to September 16, 2024, were of low intensity and did not pose a significant threat. The agency reported about 48 separate tremor events during this period, with increasing intensity and frequency noted over the days.
“Monitoring data from the NGSA Station in Katampe indicated several significant ground motions,” said Ige. “Among these, only one mild tremor was recorded on September 13, with six events on September 14, over 21 on September 15, and more than twenty on September 16. The tremors recorded on September 17 were notably weaker.”
Preliminary analyses show that the tremors originated from sources less than 5 km from the monitoring station. The agency’s on-the-ground assessments suggest that the tremors resulted from accumulated stress along identified fault lines, with seismic energy traveling through associated fractures.
The epicentres of the tremors were primarily located northeast and southwest of the NGSA-5 Seismic Station, around the Mpape and Katampe axes. The intensity of the tremors ranged from III-IV on the Modified Mercalli Scale, indicating weak to light tremors.
Residents in affected areas such as Mpape, Katampe, and Maitama have been advised not to panic. The NGSA continues to monitor the situation closely and will provide updates as necessary. The agency assures the public that its seismic stations are being monitored in real-time to ensure timely alerts on any significant seismic events.
