Nigerian scientists that study earthquakes(seismologists0 have
agreed that the country is no longer free from earthquake;
in fact they have all agreed that the natural disaster is imminent in Nigeria. This belief arises from the series of earth tremors that have been occurring in different parts of the country in recent times.
in fact they have all agreed that the natural disaster is imminent in Nigeria. This belief arises from the series of earth tremors that have been occurring in different parts of the country in recent times.
Experts are convinced that there is a real possibility of
an earthquake occurring somewhere within our shores. The recent trend of tremors in Nigeria is an
indication that seismic activities within the country are increasing and urgent
measures need to be adopted to avert devastating consequences of big
earthquakes in the most populous black nation in the world.
The seismic events
whose vibrations were felt heavily close to epicenters at the respective
communities are now causing the entire country and indeed, the global
seismological community which is becoming a great concern.
Records have shown that earth tremors (minor earthquakes)
have occurred in Nigeria from 1933-2016.
An overview of these events would leave us with no other explanation
than to believe that Nigeria will join
the unfortunate countries that have experienced earthquake. The country has experienced tremor in 1933, 1939, 1964, 1984,
1985 (in Komba Yaya), 1987 (in Akko) near Gombe; 1990, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2006, 2009 and 2016.
Most of these occurrences were not instrumentally recorded because there were no functional
seismological observatories in Nigeria
but those of 1984 at Ijebu-Ode,
1990 at Ibadan and 2000 at Jushi Kwari were recorded. The epicenters of most of
these events were mainly located in South-West Nigeria.. Although the tremors
were not recorded by the closest seismic station located in Ile-Ife, however,
from the field observation and well-structured questionnaires data gathered by
a team of experts from the Centre for Geodesy and Geodynamics under the
National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA, the intensity of the
tremors was established to range from three to four on the Modified Mercalli, MM, Intensity Scale, and
the magnitudes subsequently estimated from the Ritcher Intensity-Magnitude
Scale table
Residents in the ancient community of Shaki in Oyo state
tried to come to terms with the tremors some residents described as strange and
mysterious, the border communities of Bayelsa and Rivers states were hit with
yet another tremor on July 10, 2016, and structures were seriously damaged in
this case, but no loss of lives. The tremors were widely felt within Bayelsa
and Rivers states and this has changed the age-long belief that Nigeria is not
active or free from earthquakes The earthquakes at Kwoi were recorded by the
seismic station at Kujama, Kaduna State and also operated by the Centre for
Geodesy and Geodynamics, with magnitudes ranging from 2.6 to 3.0
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