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Following the earth tremors experienced in Abuja during the week, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammad Bello, has directed that all quarrying and mining activities in the affected areas of Mpape, Gwarimpa and Garki districts be suspended indefinitely.
The vibrations was first noticed by residents of Mpape and Maitama districts Wednesday evening and Thursday morning but by Friday morning, it extended to other areas such as Durumi and Jabi in the Nigerian capital.
Mpape, which is few kilometres from Maitama, is home to several quarries.
The FCTA Press Secretary, Cosmas Uzodinma, in a statement said the minister gave the order when he paid an on-the-spot visit to Mpape, the epicentre of reported incidents. The minister also halted drilling of boreholes in the affected areas “pending the outcome of investigations on the root causes of the incidents.”
READ: FEMA issues safety tips as Abuja residents panic over earth tremors
According to Uzodinma, preliminary reports indicate that the activities of rock blasting from quarrying, mining activities, as well as proliferation of borehole drilling were likely causes of these tremors.
“Consequently, it became necessary to suspend all quarrying activities in various sites of Abuja, especially Mpape, Garki, Gwarimpa and contiguous areas,” he said.
The FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had said the possible cause of the earth shaking in some parts of the Nigerian capital was as a result of earth tremor.