Abuja Earth Tremor: FCT Minister Bans Mining, Quarrying Activities, Borehole Drilling

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Bello, has directed the suspension of further quarrying and mining activities and borehole drilling in the affected areas of Mpape, Gwarimpa and Garki districts of Abuja.

In a statement by Cosmos Uzodinma, Chief Press Secretary of the FCTA, Bello gave the order when he paid an on-the-spot visit to Mpape, the epicentre of reported incidents of earth tremor in parts of Abuja recently.

The minister, who was represented by FCT Permanent Secretary, Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa, said mining and other similar activities remain suspended pending the outcome of investigations on the root causes of the incidents.

He further advised residents of the affected areas to rest assured that there was no cause for alarm, noting that geological experts have counselled that Abuja was not on the line of any major seismic danger.

Malam Bello asked residents to go about all their businesses while disclosing that the Administration is engaging both local and international geological experts, in order to unravel the root causes of the earth tremors experienced in parts of Abuja in recent times.

Preliminary reports, he said, indicate that the activities of rock blasting from quarrying, mining activities, as well as proliferation of borehole drilling were likely causes of these tremors.

“Consequently, he stressed, it became necessary to suspend all quarrying activities in various sites of Abuja, especially Mpape, Garki, Gwarimpa and contiguous areas,” the statement reads.

Responding to the FCT Minister’s address, the District Head of Mpape, Malam Abubakar Ibrahim Gimba as well as the Chairman of Mpape Residents Associations, Mr. Ameh Christian recounted that the community had experienced tremors in the past, but that the recent incident was more pronounced.

They thanked the FCT Administration for its prompt response to the incident while acknowledging the presence of the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Chief Gimba noted that the assurances given by the Administration would go a long way to calm the residents and assuage fears of immediate and impending disaster.

Meanwhile, the FCT Emergency Management Agency has urged the public to contact FEMA on its 112 toll free emergency number in case of any emergency situation.

The WHISTLER reprots that on Friday, there was earth tremor around Mpape and part of Maitama District of the FCT which threw the city into panic.

Also in June 2016, there was an earth tremor in Saki area of Oyo North which caused panic among residents of the area.

Reports have it that the country had experienced earth tremors in 1933, 1939, 1964, 1984, 1990, 1994, 1997, 2000 and 2009.