The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) have confirmed an incident of earth tremor at the Maitama District of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, on Thursday, November 1, 2018.
Both agencies confirmed this in a joint statement signed by Mr Vincent Owan, Director, Planning, Research and Forecasting NEMA, and Mr Abdulrazak Garba of the NGSA, and made available to newsmen in Abuja.
The earth tremor was reoccurring just a few months after an earth tremor shook the Mpape axis and environs in the FCT in September.
In the statement, the NGSA revealed that it received a call at about 12.45 p.m from a location in Maitama reporting the incident after which a technical team was immediately dispatched to the location.
It stated that a team was sent to the location of the call for an on-the-spot assessment and an internal response protocol was immediately activated, informing relevant government agencies and stakeholders.
“Our preliminary findings indicated that the tremor occurred at about 12.26 hrs around the vicinity of Panama Street in Maitama District, Abuja.
“After the field evaluation, the NGSA determined that the intensity was about 3.0 on the Mercalli Intensity Scale.
“That means it was just felt indoors and lasted less than one minute.
“Further inspection revealed that there was no structural damage due to the vibrations and hence, NEMA was adequately briefed by the NGSA.
“The residents were consequently assured that there was no cause for alarm,’’ it stated.
According to Owan, the NGSA technical teams are conducting further assessments and will continue to update the public on further development.
Visiting the scene of the incidence, residents expressed worry over the reoccurrence of the earth tremor in the FCT, saying that they no longer feel safe.
Hajiya, Lami Abubakar, who lives on Panama Street, said that it was important for adequate assessment to be done around the axis that has been experiencing the earth tremor.
She said that this would help identify the causes, to know if it was natural or due to manmade activities for possible solutions or safe practices that should be adhered to by residents.
She said that the reoccurrence was too soon, and she was yet to recover from the shock which has also affected her three-year-old baby.
Abubakar called on relevant agencies not to take the incident for granted.
By Lizzy Okoji
