Mr Alex Nwegbu, Director-General, Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has assured the general public not to panic over the earth tremor experienced in Mpape district of Abuja.

Nwegbu, who said this at news conference in Abuja on Friday, further assured that there was no cause for alarm.

He said that the agency would keep a close monitoring of the area for the next 48 hours within which arrangement ought to have been concluded for a detailed survey in the area.

According to him, the monitoring involves reflecting seismic and gravity measurement.

Nwegbu said that the agency dispatched a team of geologists and geophysicists, immediately it received the news of a disturbing ground shaking, experienced by the inhabitants of Mapape.

“From the interview, we conducted with people and the reconnaissance survey carried out, we found out that the vibration started around 2.30p.m on Sept. 5 which lasted about a second but reoccurred three hours later around 5.30p.m.

“The vibration was again felt around 8.00p.m which lasted for 10 seconds,’’ he said.

The Director-General said the survey carried out also showed that there were no cracks on the buildings or on the ground.

He advised that once people notice such earth tremor, they should move out of the house and monitor the progress.

Nwegbu, however, advocated increased funding to enable the agency properly carry out its mandate.

According to Nwegbu, earthquakes tend to be concentrated in particular zones which coincide with the boundaries of the tectonic plates into which the earth is divided.

The Director-General said that it was erroneous to think that countries or zones not contiguous with plate boundaries were aseismic.

Nwegbu said that Nigeria was not situated at the plate boundaries and as such the country was not at risk.

He said that the agency recently procured six earthquake monitoring seismograms to enable proper monitoring of all ground disturbances.

Nwegbu said that the process of installations of the seismograms had begun in six geological zones of the country.

According to him, the equipment will enable the agency warn people beforehand, in case of any expected earth tremor.

He urged Nigerians to call the following emergency numbers: 08035956056, 08023154825 and 08037000623.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that earth tremor happened around Ijebu-Ode, Gembu in the Mambila Plateau and Ibadan in 1984. (NAN)

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