Residents of Mpape and its environs were recently thrown into panic over vibrations from multiple earth tremors that rocked the suburb on the outskirts of Abuja.

Triggered by forces responsible for the earthquake, the 3.2-magnitude tremor, which resulted in widespread anxiety among the residents, was reported to have caused six to eight seismic events, with loud noises and ground shaking around the vicinity.

This is not the first time the Mpape community has witnessed earth tremors. Since its first incident in 2018, earth tremors have become a regular occurrence that must be investigated as a matter of urgency by the relevant authorities.

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has ruled out the possibility of serious earthquakes, while the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) is said to be monitoring a possible disaster in the capital territory as well as other parts of the country through some installed seismograph equipment purchased for that purpose by the government.

According to a 2018 publication by the International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET), many earthquakes and tremors have been recorded in Nigeria over the years. These quakes are dispersed throughout the country?s six geopolitical zones.

The first earthquake In Nigeria occurred in 1939 in Ibadan in present Oyo State, and the first tremor was recorded in Warri now in Delta State in 1933. According to the report, many other earthquakes have occurred since then.

On September 11, 2009 around 03:10:am in Abeokuta, Ogun State, a quake with an intensity of VII and a magnitude of 4.8 was recorded. Researchers from the National Space Research and Development Agency (NARSDA), corroborating the incident, ascertained that Nigeria is not a country free from earthquake hazards, and the focus has ever since been on the built environment in the nation.

Many factors are attributable to these earth tremors, which can, in worst cases, lead to earthquakes. One of the major factors responsible for tremors is the indiscriminate drilling of boreholes in urban centres and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Over the years, due to limited access to safe and potable water, unregulated drilling of boreholes to provide and improve water supply has become a considerable challenge to the government.

According to experts in the water resources sector, over 110 boreholes have been drilled within the FCT implying that more than 330,000 metric tonnes of water are extracted daily from the holes.

To the experts, this practice is capable of upsetting the equilibrium of the earth, which could result in violent tremors or slight earthquakes.

Boreholes undoubtedly have played and continue to play a major role in providing potable water globally, but of great concern is drilling without proper regulation and assessment, which results in long-term implications, as being witnessed in some parts of the country.

Beyond the possibility of earthquakes from borehole drilling, other grave implications include loss of biodiversity, crop failures, and depletion of aquifers which serve as natural water reservoirs.

The federal government, through the National Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), saddled with the statutory role of providing relevant geo-sciences information on the environment, has allayed fears over earth tremors and urged residents not to panic, but it goes beyond that.

This newspaper believes that given the looming danger usually associated with the proliferation of borehole drilling, the government agencies responsible for drilling boreholes must roll out measures to check the activities of drillers and drilling companies. The government must also invest more in pipe-borne water supply for the citizens, which would help reduce overreliance on boreholes.

We are persuaded to point out that the government, in collaboration with the World Bank, built what used to be known as regional water projects. Also, earth dams were constructed in parts of the country to provide water for various needs. What happened to those projects?

Drilling boreholes is a response to the government?s perceptible neglect of providing water for its citizens. If the nation is to avert the impending cataclysm, the government, at all levels, must begin to provide alternative, safe and reliable sources of water for the people.

As these tremors become more frequent, NGSA?s admonition that there is no cause for alarm only gives cold comfort, especially in a situation where the agency is benignly ignored by a thirsty populace. (LEADERSHIP Editorial)

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