Some residents of Mpape, a suburban group in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, have insisted that they might somewhat flee the group for safer locations than dwell in worry of a catastrophe owing to the recurrent earth tremors skilled within the space in the previous couple of days.
The event comes after the Nigeria Geological Survey Company launched an announcement on Wednesday assuring the residents that the tremors recorded had been low and posed no menace to the group.
Based on the assertion by the Director Common, Professor Olusegun Ige, roughly 48 separate earthquakes had been recorded, with each depth and frequency rising between Friday, September thirteenth, and Monday, September sixteenth.
“The NGSA Monitoring Station at Katampe has been capturing a number of important floor motions with excessive second magnitudes prior to now 5 days, from September 13, 2024, until date.
“Of those incidents, just one gentle occasion was recorded on September thirteenth. Six of those occasions had been captured on the 14th of September, whereas over 21 occasions had been captured on the fifteenth with larger intensities.
“Greater than 20 occasions had been recorded on the sixteenth of September. The depth and frequency of the tremor seem to extend from September thirteenth to sixteenth. There are a number of weak occasions recorded right this moment, seventeenth September.
“The intensities of the tremors are weak to gentle, starting from III-IV on the Modified Mercalli Scale, and pose a really low-level menace. The residents of Mpape, Katampe, Maitama, and different areas the place the tremors had been felt are suggested to not panic because the tremors will be typically described as low,” the assertion learn.
Nevertheless, residents say they might not take possibilities with their lives, however evacuate the world to stop lack of lives and property.
Tahir Usman, a household man with three youngsters, stated after residing in Katampe for greater than a decade and experiencing a number of tremors, he hoped to maneuver his household to security as quickly as he might.
“I’ve been right here now greater than 10 years. Typically you’ll hear the shaking very loud as if it’s a bomb blast. Typically, we do really feel motion underneath the bottom. There was a quarry right here, and so we used to imagine that they had been blasting rocks, however we discovered that isn’t the case.
“On Sunday, it was very critical, after that rain that fell. Actually, I used to be afraid that it would result in constructing collapse, as a result of a few of us now have little cracks on the wall. Thank God nothing occurred.
“Regardless of what the federal government individuals are saying, if I get cash to maneuver my household, I’ll transfer. What they didn’t say is that it doesn’t pose a menace now. It may turn into life-threatening sooner or later. However earlier than that occurs, I’ll search for a safer place to maneuver my household,” he stated.
Additionally, Mr Jimoh Halidu, a civil servant who additionally has lived within the space for greater than 15 years, stated though the federal government had given a number of assurances over time, he was “higher secure than sorry.”
“I believe the final time we skilled one thing like that right here in Katampe was 2020. That was 4 years in the past, and I’ve been residing right here since about 12 months 2000. I believe earlier than I moved right here, there was one thing like that in 1999. All these occasions, the federal government folks got here and stated nothing was incorrect, identical to they’re saying now. However they don’t dwell right here. We all know the worry and terror we really feel. Think about listening to that there have been 48 incidences in simply 4 days. I and my household are higher than sorry. If not for the best way issues are, I’ll transfer with out hesitating,” he stated.
In Gishiri, one other group within the space, a person who solely recognized himself as John, famous that though the federal government had given assurances that each one was properly, there have to be fixed reassurance to completely allay residents’ fears.
“This type of factor, we don’t want only one assertion. When one other one occurs, will they tell us? They need to give common updates earlier than we have now to cry out once more. If we didn’t, would we have now had from them this time? So the company have to be on its toes. There are a whole bunch of lives and properties in danger.”
In Maitama, a civil servant, Mrs Lilian Udoka, faulted the federal government for all the time ready till lives had been in danger earlier than taking measures, including that she was nervous in regards to the dangers posed to her youngsters.
“My downside is that authorities companies are often reactionary. Think about having a survey centre shut by, and it took a number of days earlier than they might reply to calm folks. What if one thing had occurred, then we’d have been visited by the Emergency company, isn’t it? Authorities companies should do higher. My youngsters are my primary concern. And the reality is, calling it low tremors means in the future, they may very well be excessive. So if I had my manner, I’d transfer,” she stated.
The FCT Emergency Administration Division had but to launch its evaluation of the tremors, as of the time of submitting this report, regardless of being contacted by our correspondent.
However the Director Common of the Nationwide Area Analysis and Improvement Company, Dr Matthew Adepoju, at a press convention in Abuja, urged residents to not panic.
Adepoju insisted that individuals within the space ought to keep away from panic, saying the scenario was underneath management.
The house scientist additionally disclosed that quarry employees and excavators working within the affected areas had been ordered to droop their actions.
He stated, “It has not acquired to the stage of panic but. We wish to guarantee the folks of Mpape and Abuja that the earth tremors we had usually are not the kind that may trigger earthquakes. We’ll proceed to watch the scenario and replace you regularly.
“Once more, earth tremor will not be peculiar to Nigeria. This can be a international phenomenon recognized to the entire world. In contrast to the Tsunami that occurred within the Asia Pacific Ocean, those we’re having listed here are minor ones that don’t have anything to do with earthquakes.
“On the problems regarding the drilling, excavation and blasting of rocks, we have now been reliably advised that the actions have been stopped alongside that axis. It’s a large credit score to the FCT Administration and we implore them to do extra so that we are going to not worsen the seismic actions alongside the frontlines. It is because human actions have a manner of impacting as properly.”
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Expertise, Geoffrey Nnaji, additionally shared the same sentiment, saying all palms are on deck to avert any catastrophe.
“Many could recall that Mpape skilled the same sequence of earth tremors from September 5 to 7, 2018, which drew important native and worldwide consideration to Nigeria’s rising seismic exercise. The latest tremors had been accompanied by loud noises and floor shaking, inflicting widespread alarm among the many residents of Mpape.
“In response, the federal government is presently processing and analysing complete datasets from its Seismological and GNSS stations to offer related suggestions to the FCT Administration.
“We urge the residents of Mpape, and by extension the broader Abuja space, to stay calm and proceed their regular actions. NASRDA is carefully monitoring the scenario and can quickly implement measures to mitigate the seismic dangers,” he stated.
