Earth tremors and early warning mechanism

Residents of Kwoi and neighbouring communities in Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna state recently went into a panic mode following the earth tremors that occurred in their localities. Many inhabitants were frightened away from their homes as the earth vibrated under their feet, causing some buildings to give way.
The phenomenon at the Jaba Local Government was the second time in the state this year. A similar occurrence was recorded in Hayin Magani in Ikara Local Government Area of the state which saw many buildings destroyed. Several people were also injured.
Although the incidents in Kaduna took many people by surprise because of their rarity, earth tremors are not totally new phenomena in this country. Prior to the recent quakes, some parts of Bayelsa, Oyo and Rivers states experienced earth tremors about three months ago. Before the latest occurrences in Kaduna and the above-listed states, Nigeria had been rocked by earth shakes nine times between 1933 and 1999.

The 1999 tremor reverberated across many communities in the South-west which included mainly Ogun, Osun and Oyo states.
It is heartwarming to note that the National Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has swiftly stepped in to investigate the incidents to unravel their origin. There are indications that chances of devastating earthquakes could rise from 2.8 per cent to 91.1 per cent between 2009 and 2028 based on assessments of the incidents recorded in 2009.
The initial report made available by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASDRA) said that the latest tremors emanated from “passive sources.”
It is public knowledge, as revealed by geophysical and geological studies, that a fault zone exists in the country, connecting with the Atlantic fracture along Ife-wara in Osun and Zungeru in Niger State.
All the relevant agencies have a responsibility to get to the root causes of these worrisome incidents. Nigeria has always been seen as a disaster-free zone regarding occurrences like devastating natural phenomena like earthquakes, tornadoes and cyclones that torment some other parts of the globe. Nigerians only read about such tragedies with awe and gratitude that nature has been very kind to us, save the floods that are witnessed in some riverine communities.
In our editorial of March 21, 2016 entitled “Beckoning at earthquake”, we had noted that Nigeria has been fortunate to be spared this natural disaster but warned that human activities could set off the phenomenon. We also echoed the alarm raised by a water engineering expert, Mr. Olalekan Omojowa, who cautioned the federal, state and local governments on the possible occurrences of earthquakes in most parts of the country as a result of the proliferation of borehole drilling.
The hydrologist had said that “the earth crust is what the people are puncturing when they drill boreholes in their various homes”, explaining that when the earth is punctured more than necessary, all that is needed for an earthquake to happen is just a shake from any source.
Mr. Omojowa had further warned: “Earthquake is a man-made disaster in waiting for Nigeria.  It is not even very far for it to happen because the extent to which we have punctured the earth is too much.

In this state, government alone has drilled more than 6,000 holes and when you have a single shake from any source like a volcano just as it happened in Taraba, you can have molten magma coming, killing many people and destroying property. If we have 20,000 holes in this place because expansion is going on, we are close to it and when it happens, it is going to be a national calamity.”
He then charged government at all levels to intensify efforts at providing potable water for the people to discourage private drilling of boreholes. It could also be recalled that sometime in 2014, the former minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, expressed a similar concern over the way and manner boreholes were being drilled indiscriminately across the land.
Owing to perennial scarcity of potable water, individuals who have the means have resorted to self-help especially in the urban centres by drilling boreholes. It is also public knowledge that some businessmen have cashed in on the situation by drilling boreholes for commercial purposes.
Be that as it may, the recurring earth tremors are a bad augury and a wake-up call to the government and relevant agencies. There is also the compelling need to install an early warning mechanism in those areas that are prone to the natural phenomenon. Since most natural disasters are not preventable, government owes its citizens a duty to ensure that they are forewarned about such occurrences so that they can quickly evacuate themselves to safety.