A ‘volcanic eruption-like incident’ has been reported by residents of Mpape area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with some inflammable substances emitting smoke from the cliff of the hills in the area.
A Federal Government delegation including the Minister of Solid Mineral Abubakar Bawa Bwari, his FCT counterpart Muhammad Musa Bello and the Director General of the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) Alex Ndubuisi Nwegbu visited the area yesterday.
The residents had sent a distress call after the presence of ‘inflammable substances’ in the area, but the authorities have asked them to remain calm as government investigates the incident.
It would be recalled that the incident is coming few weeks after an earth tremor that caused worry and fear in the area.
A resident said that they first noticed the incident around 5 pm yesterday.
The DG of NGSA urged the residents not to panic as “this is not the kind of environment where you see volcanic eruption.”
The minister of solid minerals said samples have been taken and they would be analysed so as to determine exactly what happened.
The FCT minister said the government would make sure the lives and property of the residents are not at risk at all. The authorities said the area would be cordoned off to carry out examinations.