The Oyo State government has allayed fears among the residents, especially in Oke-Ogun area, over the likelihood of an earthquake in the state.

Last month, there was a suspected earthquake incident in Oke-Ogun.

The government assured that the land-shaking incident was the result of a “force exploration leading to Meteorite breakages of Galatica Rock on the earth surface”.

It said samples of the meteorite had been sent to the Department of Geology at the University of Ibadan (UI) to analyse the body of the rock and determine its composition.

The government said it planned to discover the rock radioactive and hazard associated with the meteorite breakages “as investigation result is being expected”.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Solid Minerals, Mathew Oyedokun, recalled that on April 19, a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid or meteoroid, which originate from the planetary orbit between Mars and Jupiter, survived its way through the atmosphere to reach the surface of the earth and hit villages near Ipapo in Itesiwaju Local Government Area; Aba Leke, Anberee Oke, Owode and Tede in Atisbo Local Government Area.

Oyedokun said meteorite was accompanied by series of reverberating and disturbing noise on the Earth’s subsurface as observed by residents of the affected localities and other parts of the state, including Ibadan, Oyo and Ibarapa.

The governor’s aide said he was accompanied on a two-day investigation in the localities by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Chief Isaac Ishola and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Community Relations, Alhaji Abidemi Siyanbade, to ascertain the level of impact and damage to the communities.

He urged the residents to be calm, saying the meteorite impact did not occur in a built-up area, gas station, among others, which could have resulted in deaths and destruction of property.

He said ground impacts were made in the localities and a tree was burnt down because “meteorites are hot bodies moving at high velocity”. (The Nation)

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