The Birikisu Sungbo shrine at Oke-Eri, about an hour's drive east of Abeokuta, is one of the most intriguing pilgrimage sites in southwestern Nigeria. A simple tomb under a small open-sided pavilion, it is dedicated to a legendary queen called Birikisu Sungbo who is identified in local tradition — by both Yoruba and Muslim pilgrims — with Bilqis, the Queen of Sheba. The shrine attracts a constant stream of visitors who tie white cloth to the surrounding trees, light incense, and ask for healing or fertility.
What makes the site genuinely remarkable is the surrounding Sungbo's Eredo, a vast 10th-century earthwork enclosure — over 160 km of moat and rampart system — that surrounds the area. It is one of the largest pre-colonial constructions anywhere in Africa, and was clearly built by a sophisticated centralised state. Sections of the rampart can still be seen in the bush around the shrine. A guide is essential. The combined visit makes a good half-day excursion from Abeokuta with a hired car.