The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has urged Federal Capital Territory (FCT) residents 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.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that, 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 minor, mild shaking or ground vibrations, often caused by minor earth crust movements.
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 threaten the environment.
He said the agency was closely monitoring the situation across Nigeria and would provide updates as required.
The NGSA boss stated that an agency team had visited the affected areas to assess the various incidents on the spot.
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 resulted from 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 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 shallow 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 since September 13, 2024.
According to him, only one mild incidence was recorded on September 13, six were captured on September 14, and more than 21 incidences with higher intensities were captured on September 15.
“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. A few weak events were recorded on September 17,” he said.
The NGSA has five National Seismic Monitoring Stations across the country. These stations were established to provide real-time data on the location and magnitude of earthquakes or other forms of ground motion.
The stations are 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 protecting lives.
