The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has urged residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to remain calm following the earth tremor recorded in parts of Abuja on Tuesday.
Alake also directed the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) to provide him with hourly updates on seismic activities around the nation’s capital to enable continuous assessment and, where necessary, further engagement with relevant government agencies.
The directive was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Lara Owoeye-Wise.
The NGSA had earlier confirmed that several buildings in Abuja experienced vibrations after an earth tremor on August 4.
According to the agency, its Seismic Monitoring Station in Utako detected the tremor at exactly 11:23:27 a.m., stating that it originated from a depth of one kilometre and travelled four kilometres within five seconds.
Although currently in Washington, D.C., United States, where he is holding talks with American investors on joint venture opportunities in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, Alake appealed to residents not to panic, assuring them that proactive measures had been put in place to safeguard lives and property.
The NGSA classified the incident as:
“a light event of I to II magnitude on the Mercalli scale.”
The agency added:
“This is a characteristic feature of a surface earth tremor that poses no threat to lives and properties except for the discomfort of the shake and fear of possible destruction.”
The minister assured the public that the agency would continue monitoring the situation and urged residents to go about their normal activities without fear.
Earth tremors are relatively uncommon in Nigeria but have been recorded intermittently in the Federal Capital Territory and neighbouring states over the years.
The NGSA operates seismic monitoring stations across the country to monitor such events and assess their impact.
Experts have consistently maintained that most earth tremors recorded in Nigeria have been of low intensity and have not caused significant damage to lives or property.
