Ogbunike Cave: Where beauty meets nature

Ogbunike cave is one of the most interesting tourists’ attractions in the South East, Nigeria.
The cave is segmented into different chambers, which offer tourists ample space for relaxation and enjoyment, especially during the dry season.
With a combination of warm water from the cave and cold water from the river, the cave has been a useful tourist attraction for many years, as guests troop there to have a glimpse of the beautiful natural environment.
Among the fauna of the site are deer, antelope, grass cutter, porcupine, rabbit, alligator, snakes and frogs. Others are fishes, crabs and birds of different colours. To protect it from direct effect on human encroachment, the site has 20 hectares with its historical and spiritual significance.
According to oral tradition, the cave was discovered by a hunter called Ukwa. Ukwa had only gone for hunting expedition and never bargained for the kind of discovery he made.
In the mid 90s, Anambra State Government constructed a lengthy walkway made up of about 365 steps that descending into the valley where the cave is located. This point was also a point whereby visitors are meant to enter into the cave with bare feet according to the tradition.

Ogbunike Caves is located in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria. In a valley blanketed by tropical rain forest behind the “Ogba” hills in which lies behind St. Monica College Ogbunike, in Oyi Local government area just 10km drive from Onitsha the commercial nerve center of Eastern Nigeria. The entrance of the cave links to the road of St. Monica’s Secondary School. The cave is manned by the care-keeper, Mr. Daniel Oguelina, a 53 year- old man, who is always there to attend to visitors who had come for sight seeing.

Historically, during the African holocaust period in the ancient days, Ogbunike was known as a hideout from slave hunters sited in the southeastern of Nigeria, not far from Onitsha and the Niger River. After works on the centre, it now has a network chambers, crawls and tunnels on two levels. The upper level is about 200m twice as long and dry.
Although, it was naturally formed by erosion, there is also human alteration though. History has is that it has been there for several decades.

Coupled with its nature, the cave is extraordinary big and has attracted tourists from all walks of the world; and it is very popular among the Ogbunike folks. It has certain form of restrictions and rules pasted at the gate entrance by the Ifite Youths.
These youths strongly believe that some traditional beliefs must be followed such as entering the cave with bare feet, disallowing ladies observing their menstrual period from entering while collection of receipt after payment is necessary.

It is also generally believed, according to oral tradition of the Igbo, that a god, called Ogba lives in the middle of the large rock situated at the cave. This god was also said to be mysterious as it could see through the minds of the people and even detect crimes such as theft at will. It was also said that guilty ones might have access to the cave, but may never returned alive