Any visit to the city of Kabba would be incomplete without stopping by at the “Kabba”; Obangogo Hill which is 700 mitres above the sea level the second highest mountain in Nigeria after Zuma Rock which stand at a height of height of 725 metres above the sea level compare to Olumo Rock which is 137 miters above the sea level.
The name of Olumo Rock did not just came to being freely without some financial sacrifice from the state government and some individual sacrifice which turned the rock to number one tourist attraction center in Nigeria.
Believe me not Obangogo monumental hill can generate times two revenue of what Olumo Rock is generating for Ogun state if only Kogi state government can pay much attention to Obangogo Hill as a number one tourist attraction center in Kogi State and realize that there is an another way / means at which Kogi State government can generate revenue other than depending on Paris fund or borrowing money from CBN to offset workers salary.
Everything You Need To Know About Obangogo Hill
Kabba, the headquarters of the Yoruba speaking people of Kogi State in the North Central Nigeria, has a rich culture and tradition synonymous with those of their kiths and kins in the southwest part of the country, where the Yoruba can be found. Apart from this, the town has a history of wars and invasion by external forces, particularly, the Nupes, who invaded the community with the aim of taking the people into captivity.
Whenever the invasion happened, the people of the community had one place they usually ran to for protection and that was the Obangogo hill. The hill served as a safe haven for Kabba people and protected them from being attacked and taken away by the Nupes. History also has it that Obangogo was not a place of refuge for only Kabba people during such invasion, neighbouring communities like Ogidi also benefitted from the sacred protection of the hills when the community was equally invaded.
The Obangogo mountain, according to history, was formed as a result of volcanic eruption dated thousand of years ago. This igneous rock, which is geographically located on a longitude of 176638.210E, Latitude of 857813.110N, is about 4.8 kilometres flight distance from the main highway of Kabba – Okene and has an elevation (summit) of 615.50 metres above the sea level. The hill is about 200 meters taller than the famous Mount Patti (Where Lord Lugard and Flora Shaw coined the name Nigeria) in Lokoja, making it the second tallest mountain in Kogi State after the famous Oke-Esa in Idagbon of Ikowo-opa in Owe land which is the highest mountain in the present Kogi state. Standing on top of Obangogo, one can view Osara, Okene and parts of Lokoja metropolis that are several kilometres away.
Things to see in Obangogo Hill
Obangogo comprises uncommon and fascinating features like; cave, spring water, talking stone-drum, mystery coffin, three boulders representing three major kings in the town, that is the Obaro, Obadofin and Obajemu.
History has it that during many of the invasions by the Nupes, the people climbed up the hill after which they poured sheabutter to make it slippery and prevent the assailants from climbing and reaching them. This way, the Egunbe people were able to roll down boulders of stones on their enemies below.
“The historic facts about the hill include the story of Elegha, the Ako kereje, kereje, the coffin that turned to stone, there is a portion of the rock that is as good as a talking drum. There is a spring of water that never dries the year round. It served as the main source of water for the people then. There is also the mystical lake called ‘ako’. There are five of them and they never run dry despite their stagnation.
There are also three big rocks called the Oke Metas which symbolise the three major kings (Ololus) in Kabba,” it was gathered.
The fertility of the lands around the hill for farming activities also made it economically important to the people of the area.
“As at the time, the land of Egunbe, where the hill is located, was very fertile for the people’s farming activities, members of the community were engaged in farming even beyond the hill station to the other side which is Ogidi, another community in Ijumu Local Government Area.”
“Obangogo hill is a hill of outstanding value from the point of view of aesthetics, science, history and culture. The hill is characterised by enchanting metamorphic rock and granite, lofty peaks and beautiful valley”.However, important as the hill is to the people and with its economic potentials as a tourist attraction that can earn both the state and local governments foreign incomes, not much has been heard about it beyond the community and the state it is located.
Best Time To Visit Olumo Rock
The month of December is always a great time to pay a visit to the Obangogo monumental Hill, as it is the dry season around the environment of the Rock. Visiting Obangogo Hill would also afford you the opportunity of enjoying the Owe cultural Carnival.
Please am using this platform to appeal to well meaning Kogi indigent diaspora both in government and those that are not to please look into this matter and do the needful to make Kogi State number tourist attraction center in Nigeria through Obangogo Hill.
— Gideon Bello
08165501242
