Communities groan over earth tremor incident in Bayelsa, Rivers

The House of Representatives has called for increased budgetary allocation to tackle severe erosion threatening Odi Kingdom in Bayelsa State.

The lawmakers warned that the historic Ijaw community could face further destruction without urgent federal intervention and sustained funding for shoreline protection.

The House made the call yesterday after adopting a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Oboku Oforji.

It urged the Federal Government to mobilise relevant agencies to protect homes, farmlands, public infrastructure and residents’ livelihoods from the advancing erosion.

Oforji’s motion linked the worsening shoreline erosion to an earth tremor reportedly recorded in the community in 2025. It said the incident accelerated the destruction of buildings and other vital assets.

“The persistent erosion continues to consume large portions of the community daily, threatening lives, livelihoods, critical infrastructure, and the very existence of Odi Kingdom,” the motion stated.

The lawmakers expressed concern that the relevant federal agencies had yet to undertake a comprehensive intervention despite the scale of the environmental crisis.

They urged the Federal Ministries of Environment, Works, and Water Resources and Sanitation to work with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Ecological Project Office and other relevant agencies to address the problem.

The House called for an emergency assessment of the affected areas, followed by permanent shoreline protection, erosion control and land reclamation projects.

It also stressed the need for adequate budgetary provisions to finance comprehensive environmental restoration and stabilise the threatened shoreline.

As part of its response, the House mandated its committees on Environment, Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Ecological Funds, and the NDDC to conduct a joint on-the-spot assessment of the community.

The committees are expected to submit their findings and recommendations for immediate legislative action within four weeks.

MEANWHILE, Communities along the Bayelsa-Rivers border are seeking answers after recurring earth tremors shook buildings and sent people rushing out of their homes and business premises, with the cause of the latest incident still unknown.

The latest occurrence, reported on October 8, 2026, affected Kalaba and Ikarama communities in Yenagoa Local Council Area of Bayelsa State, as well as Mbiama and Iluma in Ahoada West Local Council Area of Rivers State.

For residents, the sudden vibrations brought confusion and fear, with some initially suspecting that a heavy vehicle had passed nearby or that a building was about to collapse. However, after the shaking stopped, the question of what caused the movement remained unanswered.

A report by Environmental Conservation, Agriculture and Rural Development (ECARD) described the latest incident as the third or fourth similar occurrence recorded in the area within about 12 years. Previous tremors were reported in June 2014 and July 2016.

The recurrence has raised concerns among residents who want government authorities and scientific experts to investigate the phenomenon, establish its cause, and determine whether it poses any danger to life and property.