Senate Raises Earthquake Alarm Over Kaduna Tremors: Nigeria no Longer Immune

Senate Raises Earthquake Alarm Over Kaduna Tremors: Nigeria no Longer Immune

After the multiple earth tremors that rocked the southern part of Kaduna State recently, it has become increasingly clear that the country is no longer immune to earthquakes as hitherto assumed.

Kwoi community, in Jaba Local Government Area of the State over the past month has experienced repeated vibrations and sounds that sent residents scampering in all directions for safety.

Though Nigeria had experienced tremors in the past, the magnitude and frequency of the latest ones have jolted the authorities into action, with the Senate calling on the National Emergency Management Agency and other relevant government agencies to take proactive measures to contain the phenomenon, Punch reports.

In a motion sponsored by Senator Danjuma La’ah (APC, Kaduna-South) titled ‘Earth Tremor and the Preparedness of Nigeria to Deal with its Intending Consequences,’ the Senate implored all stakeholders to get on top of the Kaduna situation.

The senator duly noted that following the tremor that occurred on September 11, 2009 which was recorded in Oyo State and other parts of the South-West and with the recent ones in Bayelsa and Kaduna states, no further warning was needed on the susceptibility of the country to quakes.

He added that the Lagos-Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode fault system was another belt where an earth tremor was witnessed in July and August 1984, stressing that these fault systems could serve as a zone of weakness for the propagation of shocks from far away plate boundaries.

Hence, the lawmakers tasked NEMA and related agencies to engage in public enlightenment and drills during this warning stage.

Meanwhile, residents of Kwoi who fled the town are now returning as there have not been any recurrence of the tremors.

The Interim Chairman of Jaba Local Government Area, Mr. Ben Kure, told the News Agency of Nigeria that normalcy was gradually being restored to the affected communities.