The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has urged residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to remain calm following the tremor recorded in parts of Abuja on Tuesday.

In a statement yesterday by his Special Assistant on Media, Lara Owoeye-Wise, the minister also directed the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) to provide him with hourly updates on seismic activities around the nation’s capital for continuous assessment, and further engagement with relevant government agencies where necessary.

The NGSA had earlier confirmed that several buildings in Abuja experienced vibrations after a tremor on August 4. It disclosed that its seismic monitoring station in Utako detected the tremor at exactly 11:23:27 a.m., adding that it originated from a depth of one kilometre and travelled four kilometres within five seconds.

Though currently in Washington, D.C., the United States, where he is holding talks with American investors on joint venture opportunities in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, Alake urged residents not to panic, assuring 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,” adding that, “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 further assured the public that the agency would continue monitoring the situation while urging the residents to go about their normal activities without fear.

Earth tremors are uncommon in Nigeria but have been recorded intermittently in the FCT and neighbouring states over the years, with experts consistently maintaining that most tremors recorded in Nigeria have been of low intensity and have not resulted in significant damage to lives or property.