Tremor: Govt delegation visits Igbeti, reassures residents of safety

By Adejayan Gbenga

The Director-General of the Oyo State Solid Mineral Development Agency, Mr. Abiodun Oni, and his team visited Igbeti in Olorunsogo Local Government Area of the state, where they inspected the site of the recent rock weathering following a slight earth tremor that initially caused panic.

Oni, while reiterating the government’s position that there is no cause for alarm, noted that residents should not carry out activities near the rock until they are informed it is safe.

“From what we have seen, the rock was subjected to extreme heat and caused a weak part of the rock to come down. To the glory of God, we don’t have any casualty, and this is one of the reasons why the governor sent us here—to calm nerves,” Oni said.

He added that the government had reassured the people that there was no danger, but they should steer clear of the rock. “This is because there may be a recurrence.”

“As I said, it is still more like an active system and we don’t want anybody to get hurt. So, I want to implore the people of the community and the farmers farming close to the rock to stay away for now,” he said.

The Vice Chairman of Olorunsogo LGA, who spoke on behalf of the Chairman, Hon. Kazeem Olayanju, said the council had taken several actions, including working with the traditional institution to disseminate information to residents on the incident and the need to stay away from the rock.

He added that the government was also working to erect a barricade to prevent people from accessing the area.

In his remarks, the Onigbeti of Igbetiland, Oba (Engr.) Bashir Abioye, commended the Oyo State Government for taking prompt action to prevent the loss of lives, adding that hunters and farmers who use the rock have also been directed to temporarily stop their activities around the site.