FG probes Abuja tremors, awaits experts’ reports

No cause for panic, NGSA tells residents

The Federal Government has begun investigation into the recent earth tremors that shook Mpape in Abuja, while awaiting recommendations from seismological experts and the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) reports.

The tremors, which began on September 16, 2024, involved a series of seismic events, with six to eight incidents recorded throughout the night, first detected around 11 pm, alarming the community with loud noises and ground shaking.

The most significant event occurred at 11.18:37 pm, registering a local magnitude of 3.1 and a focal depth of 11 kilometres, according to the Centre for Geodesy and Geodynamics (CGG), part of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA).

Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Uche Nnaji, disclosed this in Abuja, while briefing journalists on the development, reassuring the public that a team of experts was actively studying the tremors.

He emphasised that even as the situation raised concerns, there was no immediate cause for alarm.

Nnaji said: “Many may recall that Mpape experienced a similar sequence of earth tremors from September 5 to 7, 2018, which drew significant local and international attention to Nigeria’s increasing seismic activity. The recent tremors were accompanied by loud noises and ground-shaking, causing widespread alarm among residents of Mpape.

“In response, the government is processing and analysing comprehensive datasets from its seismological and GNSS stations to provide relevant recommendations to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).”

The minister also warned of the rising flood risks in the country’s southern region due to the overflow of the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
By mid-September, the overflow had impacted over 18,000 hectares of land.