Ogbunike Caves
Behind Ogba hills in Ogbunike LGA in Anambra is a cave that has served for years as an escape, hideout and also as a place of refuge during the Nigerian Civil War. There are about 317 steps that lead into the tunnel. At the entrance, visitors must take off their shoes and also women during their period are not allowed to go in. About ten tunnels lead into the main chamber of the cave; the main cave consists of a massive structure with a big open chamber of about 5m high, 10m wide and 30m long at the entrance. A stream flows out from one of the tunnels into a rapidly flowing river (River Nkissa). Every year in May, a celebration known as “Ime Ogbe” is undertaken to commemorate the discovery of the caves.
Marshall Caves
Located inside Yankari game reserve in Alkaleri LGA, these caves with numerous networks of hollow openings and artistic textures served as a settlement many centuries ago sheltering communities from wild animals and invaders.
Iho Eleru – The Cave of Ashes
In Isarun, 24km south of Akure, Ondo, south-western Nigeria is a rock shelter formed by the overhang of a massive block of gneiss at the foot of an inselberg. In 1965, Thurstan Shaw, the famous archaeologist, found the bones of a prehistoric man, dated to over 8,000 years B.C. in these caves. In the recent past, this cave was lit on with fire by farmers who farmed around the area, hence its name in Yoruba – Cave of Ashes.
Awhum Caves
“Awhum” sometimes written as “Owhum” but pronounced “Ohum” is a limestone cave in Udi LGA, about a thirty-minute drive from Enugu, capital city Enugu State. The limestone cave snakes through a stretch of steep-sided and picturesque hills, which had been dissected in different parts by channels of flowing streams. The foot of the caves is about 300m long with twin cascades of waterfalls. The first intrudes the cave, while the second and also the biggest stands at the far end of the cave. During the day, from the roof light sips through the cave from the small sinkholes and illuminates the caves. The flowing stream along the floor is glistened by the incident light.
