The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has urged residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to remain calm following reports of earth tremors in some parts of the territory.
NGSA Director General, Prof. Olusegun Ige, made the call in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
Over the past week, a series of earth tremors have been reported in some parts of the Maitama, Katampe, and Mpape areas, causing concern among residents.
Tremors are small, mild shaking or vibrations of the ground, often caused by minor movements in the earth’s crust.
Ige urged the residents of the affected areas and other parts where the tremors were felt not to panic, as the tremors were generally minor and did not pose any threat to the environment.
He said that the agency was closely monitoring the situation across Nigeria and would provide updates as required.
The NGSA boss stated that a team from the agency had visited the affected areas for an on-the-spot assessment of the various incidents.
Ige added that the agency drew its conclusions from the accounts of residents in the affected areas, observations by its team, and findings from earlier interpretations of airborne geophysical data over the area and adjoining regions.
“The tremors are a result of accumulated stress along the identified faults and released seismic energy, which may have travelled through associated fractures to areas where the tremors were felt around the FCT.
“There are multiple epicentres associated with the recent tremor. Most of the epicentres are located northeast of the NGSA-5 seismic station around the Mpape axis, while a few are located southwest of the station around the Katampe axis.
“The intensities of the tremors are weak to light, ranging from three to four on the Modified Mercalli Scale, and pose a very low level threat,” he said.
The director general further said that its monitoring station (NGSA-5) at Katampe has been capturing several significant ground motions with high moment magnitudes from September 13, 2024, till date.
According to him, only one mild incidence was recorded on September 13, six were captured on September 14, while more than 21 incidences were captured on September 15 with higher intensities.
“More than 20 events were recorded on September 16. The intensity and frequency of the tremor appear to increase from the 13 to 16 September. There are a few weak events recorded on September 17,” he said.
The NGSA has five National Seismic Monitoring Stations located across the country, which were established to provide real-time data on the location and magnitude of an earthquake or other forms of ground motion.
The stations are located in Utako and Katampe in the FCT, Kaduna, Ilorin, and Keffi.
The systems enable a quick assessment of potential damage to structures and ensure necessary actions to mitigate losses, including the protection of lives.
