The response to the rebuttal on the revised stratigraphy of the Bida Basin, Nigeria: New observations.

Abstract

The late Cretaceous Bida Basin lithostratigraphy was carried out in order to establish a correlation between the northern (Bida area) and the southern part (Lokoja area) of the basin. The detailed fieldwork carried out over four years involved field description and mapping of outcrops in the entire basin. The study showed that the basin is underlain by mainly continental sedimentary rocks with minor occurrence of marginal/shallow marine to freshwater flood-plain deposits. The basin fill is characterised mostly by several cycles of amalgamated and/or stacked alluvial fans of the Bida/Lokoja Formation directly overlying the Basement Complex. The study revealed that the Lokoja/Bida Sandstone is overlain directly by the oolitic/pisolitic ironstone of the Agbaja/Sakpe Formations, which, in turn, is succeeded by fine to medium grained, grey and white sandstones, siltstones, grey clays, carbonaceous silts and shales, and ubiquitous concretionary ironstone bands of the Patti/Enagi Formation. Given the current detailed investigation, this study suggests that contrary to the rebuttal published, the Agbaja Ironstone is not the youngest formation in the basin. This study further revealed that the sequence of rocks and fossils used to define the Patti Formation and its probable age do not exist on Mount Patti in Lokoja, rather they are found along excavated road sections, quarries and boreholes around the Ahoko Village. Based on the detailed field work and sedimentological investigations, this study hereby proposes that the name ‘Patti Formation’ be changed to ‘Ahoko Formation’.