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TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN ALAIGBO

The Ogbunike Caves, located in Anambra State

The Ogbunike caves are a system of many caves linked together by small, tunnels and passages. They take their name from Ogbunike, a town in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State where they are situated. Located in a valley blanketed by topic rain forest, the collection of caves has been ongoing for centuries by local people for whom it has spiritual significance. This spiritual significance is still apparent, as the "Ime Oga" celebration is undertaken every year to commemorate the discovery of the caves. Visitors must remove their shoes as per tradition and women having their monthly cycle can't go in. The caves are occupied by a large colony of bats of various sizes. There are streams and bodies of water in multiple places. A stream flows out of one of the tunnels into a rapid flowing river (Nkissa). Beside this portion of the river is a tableland of about 5x5 square metres used as a relaxation spot for the visitors.

In the latter months of 1968 and 1969, when hundreds of people hid in the dark to escape the perils of the Nigerian Civil War, the Ogbunike Caves presented many options. It is also said that the slave traders in precolonial times hid in the caves from which they planned and executed slave raids.

It is said that the Ogbunike caves were discovered by a man named Ukwa, from the Umucheke family of Ifite-Ogbunike, about 4000 years ago. 

Legends claim that the caves were created by a deity, Ogba, who they believe lives within.

 

OGBAUKWU CAVES AND WATERFALLS

Hidden away from the busy routes that crisscross Anambra, the Ogbaukwu Caves and Waterfalls are in Owerre Ezeukala community that borders Abia, Enugu and Imo. Approximately 75 kilometres east of Onitsha, the cave is considered the largest cave in West Africa, which will take upwards of two hours to explore. It forms a deep and complex rock formation with roomy compartments large enough to take in an entire village.

At the centre of Ogba Ukwu, is one large area said to have been the living room of the ‘god’ of Owerre-Ezukala. His throne and other compartments within his household. His sentries were always mounted at the two entrances to the cave watching out for visitors and intruders. There are crevices in the rock depicting his wardrobe and storerooms. There is one compartment, accessed by the aid of stone steps where an old elephant’s foot still stands, long dead and dry. In another crevice, there is a natural spanner of rock, and in yet another is a gun of stone, as old as the cave.

There is the ‘Ogba Ekezu’, a bottomless well within the cave that no one who ever falls into it is seen again. In the past, natives came to the cave once every year, in the month of March to perform the ‘Aja Ala Onwa Ito’ festival. Visitors were invited to parties and picnics inside the cave. It is alleged that natives in the past communed physically with the god of Ogba Ukwu who appeared on his throne in the form of a man, holding a broom in his hand.

He answered the people’s questions, gave judgment on their cases and made predictions about the future. Time and encroachment however must have caused his relocation to an unknown destination. Guided tours in and around are fascinating and leave a visitor dumbfounded by this wonderful work of nature.

 

AGULU LAKE

Anambra is home to many tourist attractions including the beautiful Agulu lake, along Awka Road in Agulu Town, Aniocha Local Council of Anambra State. It is clear most times but changes to green from algae depending on the season of the year.

Agulu lake is the famous source of Idemili River in Anambra State.

Anambra is home to many tourist attractions including the beautiful Agulu lake, along Awka Road in Agulu Town, Aniocha Local Council of Anambra State. It is clear most times but changes to green from algae depending on the season of the year.

Some interesting facts about the Agulu Lake:

1. Crocodiles are regarded as sacred beings and cannot be killed. At noon, they appear at the bank of the lake basking in the sun to get the temperatures they desire. Anyone who kills a crocodile from the lake must come to ask for penance else evil will befall them.

 

2. A woman who is menstruating should not step into the lake.

 

3. Women who newly gave birth ought not to enter the lake.

 

4. A man cannot enter the lake immediately after having sexual intercourse with a woman. He must have a thorough bath to be clean before coming to the lake because it is sacred.

 

5. The lake does not accept/kills evildoers such as murderers and thieves. Anyone who is involved in the things the land forbids is not welcomed.

 

6. If you have not offended the gods of the land, it will throw you out, even if you mistakenly fall into it and you are not a good swimmer.

 

7.  Fishing is not allowed at the lake.

 

8.  According to locals, the crocodiles transformed into beautiful ladies and lured the enemies during wars into the lake where they drowned.

 

9. The water is also believed to contain healing properties for all manner of ailments.

 

10.  Certain items should be brought to the lake to appease the crocodiles.

 

11.  The residing chief priest is the only one who can invoke the crocodiles out. He has a hut beside the lake.

 

NGWO PINE FOREST, ENUGU.

The Ngwo Pine Forest is a pine forest near the centre of Enugu. The forest hosts a limestone cave sculpted with a small waterfall that forms a shallow pool at the bed of the cave. The Ngwo Pine Forest is used as a recreational area to picnic.

Ngwo is a humble farming community on the outskirt of Enugu, the capital of Enugu state, and it is home to one of nature’s peaceful gifts to man—Ngwo Pine Forest.

The peaceful pine forest of Ngwo is located twenty minutes away from the coal city of Nigeria.

And as the name implies, the forest is a serene garden of pine trees with an endless beautiful display.

In particular, the shade of Ngwo Pine Forest is heavenly; the serenity is priceless, and the atmosphere is pleasing to the soul.

Ngwo is a humble farming community on the outskirt of Enugu, the capital of Enugu state, and it is home to one of nature’s peaceful gift to man—Ngwo Pine Forest.

And as the name implies, the forest is a serene garden of pine trees with an endless beautiful display.

In particular, the shade of Ngwo Pine Forest is heavenly; the serenity is priceless, and the atmosphere is pleasing to the soul.

Deep inside the forest lies a cave of limestone rock carrying a small waterfall with a shallow pool. Ngwo Pine Forest is a perfect destination for tourists. The accommodating spirit of her people does not only compel admiration, but it also makes Ngwo community a home away from home. Their children are innocent, and the aged ones are friendly. The peace of the forest extends her quietness to the village as well; making it a haven of humble dwellings.

There are not many places in the world like Ngwo Pine forest. The serenity that rules within the confines of the forest is amazing. And the experience that it gives is deathless.

 

AWHUM WATERFALL, ENUGU.

The Awhum Waterfall is located at Amaugwe village of Awhum town in Udi Local Government Area, Enugu State, Nigeria. The Awhum Waterfall is formed out of a massive outcrop of granite rock with water flow at the top forming a stream. Some part of the waterfall is usually warm through the seasons.

Located close to the Awhum Monastery, a section of the fall, which is 30 meters high, is warm through the season. The water is said to be curative (have healing power) and capable of dispelling evil forces if and wherever it is sprinkled. It takes about 45 minutes to walk from the parking spot to the fall. The site is particularly good for religious tourism.

The valley also boasts of numerous pristine lakes, some of them with beautiful white sand beaches located about 24 kilometres from Enugu.

Also, the mystic auras from Awhum’s caves emit on her a unique kind of beauty.

The waterfall is 30 metres high, and it is famed to have both healing powers and the capability of dispelling satanic or evil forces. It is for these reasons the falls have become a place of Christian pilgrimage and a prayer centre.

People visit to meditate or say a prayer for loved ones or just bask in the sweetness of the ambience of the cave.

 

NATIONAL WAR MUSEUM, UMUAHIA.

The National War Museum in Umuahia was established in 1985. The museum has a collection of objects of traditional and modern warfare. There are also outdoor displays of warships, military aircraft, armoured tanks, and "Ogbunigwe" (bombs produced locally by Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War). The relics of war are preserved and maintained by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM).

The Nigerian-Biafran war, also known as the Nigerian civil war, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the Southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra. The war, which started on July 6, 1967, came to an end on January 15, 1970. While the civil war lasted, various sophisticated weapons were used. Some of these deadly weapons were fabricated due to the exigencies of the war. Outside the appurtenances of war, civilians were also involved in the process of not just fighting but psyching up the minds of the people to forge ahead despite the deprivations that came with war. Different media of mass communication were used.

The war was a watershed in the history of Nigeria as a country. The experience, many agree, is such that makes the resort to arms and war as a means of conflict resolution, not an attractive option. It is in this spirit that the Nigerian War Museum, Umuahia was established. The museum’s location was chosen because it was where the bunker housing the famous shortwave radio “the Voice of Biafra” was transmitted from. The Voice of Biafra was the mouthpiece for Biafra during the war.

The National War Museum has the highest collection of the Nigerian civil war weapons that are no longer in use. The weapons are from both the Nigerian military and the defunct Republic of Biafra. The place has become a tourist site that attracts hundreds of people daily. They come from within and outside the country to see the war artefacts on display. To some, it is to relive the period of the war through items on display, while to others, it is for study purposes. There are yet others who come simply for curiosity.

 

THE LONG JUJU OF AROCHUKWU, ABIA STATE.

Arochukwu Long Juju slave route is a six-foot gully that takes people to the temple judgment, back in the days.

After the cities of Aba and Umuahia, Arochukwu, which is sometimes referred to as Arochukwu, or Aro-Okigbo is the third-largest city in Abia State, Southeastern Nigeria.

It is composed of 19 villages with an overall leader called Obong Aro.

Interestingly, there are several historic tourist sites that exist in the city of Arochukwu. And among them are the mystic Ibini Ukpabi shrine, the slave routes and other relics of the slave.

Prominent for its sacred sense of mystic beauty is the Ibinu Ukabi or the long juju Shrine that was used to judge the perpetrators of crimes.

Tales have it that back then in the kingdom of Arochukwu, Ibini Ukpabi at the height of its powers was the most powerful deity in Igboland.

And this was during the trans-Atlantic slave trade era.

Being a kind of supreme court, whose judgment was final, there was no appeal.

Those at trial would enter the temple complex and wander through it, ready to face the judgment of Chukwu (God). It is here that you will find the throne of judgment-- the dark presence ("the Holy of Holies").

And those found guilty walked into dark tunnels and those found innocent went back to their relatives.

There is also a hill of rags: It is where the condemned were instructed to undress and leave their clothes before they disappeared into the tunnels around the hill.

The long juju slave route is a dark kilometre-long series of tunnels.

Also included in the feature is a red river where it is said that as the guilty disappear, the aro would colour the river red to give people the impression that the condemned has died.

And the red water flowing down the stream would be a sign to the relatives that the victims were dead.

However, stories have it that through another feature known as Iyi-Eke-- an outlet to "Onu Asu Bekee" (the European beach, which later became the government beach), blindfolded victims (those found guilty) are led to waiting boats that took the enslaved to Calabar for onward transmission to Ala Bekee.

However, the sacred stronghold would be destroyed by the British as their quest for colonial power prompt them to wage war on the Long Juju and the network it had established in the region.

Be that as it may, the long juju slave route of Arochukwu still remains a perfect destination for tourists around the world.

 

These are to mention but a few of the beautiful tourist attractions in Alaigbo. We hope you enjoyed reading it and will probably come and see them for yourself.

 

DAALU!