The legendary Queen of Sheba, locally known among Ijebu people as Bilikisu Sungbo.
At the heart of Oke-Eri, a small community which is about four kilometres from Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State in Nigeria lies the remains of one of the greatest woman that has ever lived – Bilikisu Sungbo, the Queen Of Sheba in the bible.
She has some mysteries attributed to her acclaimed tomb in Oke Eri community.
What is particularly intriguing is the origin of Bilikisu Sungbo, which has become exceptionally controversial. While the Oke-Eri people submitted that she was their daughter who travelled around the world and met the sagacious biblical King Solomon son of King David who married her, there were also the Arabian, Ethiopian, Biblical dimensions to the claim.
The mysterious attribution has over-time attracted millions of People visiting from different parts of the world to the tomb to be part of the beneficiaries of the mysterious power saturating the grave-turned-shrine.
The historical queen, Bilikisu Sungbo, was said to have traveled all the way from Ethiopia down to Oke Eri where she died and was buried.
According to the record, she was described as a powerfully wealthy woman, a Sorcerer who believed to possess supernatural powers.
The tradition has it that her death was shrouded With mystery which led to the taboo that forbids women and dogs from visiting the spot where she was specifically buried. (detail in comprehensive history of Oke Eri).
Hence, as densely woody the burial place is, the first recorded mystery remains that no grass/weed has ever found grown on the tomb ever since her interment, over 2000 years ago. Prior to the construction of shed that is presently erected on the tomb by the government.
There was evidently mysterious cobweb that spread all over the grave preventing the falling leaves from dropping on it. This mystery of the cobweb which kept the tomb to remain ever clean, in spite of being in the thick wood, signals the reality of a living supernatural force that abide with the tomb.
Attesting to this abiding mysterious power, an European tourist visited the tomb with his wife and their pet dog sometimes ago to substantiate the truth.
Knowing fully well the sacrilege attributed that women and dogs are forbidden to set eyes on the tomb, the said European tourist breached the rules, ascribed it to a mere superstition.
This means the European tourist entered the tomb in company of his wife and their dog. Subsequently, it is evidently recorded that the dog died immediately setting eyes on the tomb.
And before the couple could get to Ijebu Ode from Oke Eri, they had a fatal motor accident, That claimed the life of his wife instantly.
Beside that, it is believed the tomb is extremely saturated with an invincible force to the extent people throng in multitude to the place as pilgrimage.
In the past, it was the tradition that all previous Awujale, Had to visit the tomb on the first day of every year to make annual prayers for the peace and progress of the entire Ijebu-land.
The tradition has then metamorphosed to yearly pilgrimage during Idiel kabir (Ileya) and Christmas, where quite number of people visit the tomb to Make prayer requests without any fetish ritual.
As a result, in 1995, the shrine was added to the cultural category of UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Federal and Ogun State government have recognized the tomb as one of the National Tourist Centers.
But unfortunately, the place has been abandoned undeveloped.
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