Abuja Crushed Rock: Why Nigerians dey gada for dis new beauty spot for Mbape
One abandoned quarry for Nigeria don become hotspot for tourist hotspot after fotos of di place begin fly upandan for social media earlier dis month.
Di rocky cliff wey climb enta di blue sky get beautiful sight, moss-lined footpath, small green hills and one lake wey dey shimmer for di sun dey breath-taking and one set of images wey dem share for Twitter for di beginning of August dey liked more dan one thousand times. Since di foto enta social media, plenty pipo don dey rush go di site known as Crushed Rock for Mpape - one poor neighbourhood for di outskirts of di capital Abuja. Dem don arrange one DJ stand, food vendors, plenty sun-bathing selfie-takers - and dem even get band of classical musicians. Nigerians no be pipo wey like to dey catch fun outside like dat because di weather dey very hot for di north and e no dey to cool for di south. Dis days hikers dey go round Abuja sake of di oyinbos wey dey live for di political capital. Di coronavirus pandemic don also encourage many young middle class Nigerians to visit di hills wey dey di kontri rocky central region. Di lockdown wey no gree make pipo travel don allow dem begin dey find relaxation centres wey near dia area. Di area wey dey around Mpape, mean "rock" for di local Gwari language, di area supply plenty stones wey dem use transform Abuja from one small village for di 1980s to become di kontri capital city. "Di quarry don exist for more than 10 years," Mpape resident Courage Ebenz tok wey dey surprised wit di way pipo just dey enta di area catch groove. Nigeria get plenty beautiful places but dis "man-made" location get how e dey attract pipo - with three main things wey dey give pipo wey see am goosebump. Sightseers fit choose a small winding footpath to di top terrace, where di grass dey perfect to do picnic. Pipo wey still one feel di area fit continue down di path wey circle come go down where water dey. But locals wey dey live for di area warn pipo wey for like to swim say plenty abandoned machinery full di place. According to Abraham Adepelumi, one geo-physicist for Obafemi Awolowo university, e say dem form di lake sake of di fracturing of an aquifer. "Once di rock get fractured, di water wey dey inside di rock go dey under pressure," he tell BBC. "Na natural phenomenon, Mpape na fracture-prone area of Abuja and e done experience tremors, di recent one happun for 2018." Di local emergency agency don sama warning give pipo wey no sabi hike well-well make dem no hike for di Mpape Crushed Rock, but pipo wey wan catch fun no mind. "I no know say we get dis kain place for Nigeria and I wan see if e dey real," Dis na wetin Elizabeth Okute, wey come wit her friends tell BBC afta she see di pictures of di place for Facebook, she tell BBC. Ann Chukwuka say I dey surprised say dis kain place dey exist for Abuja. Emeka Uko say im hope dey put measures in place to preserve di place. Dis na wetin some volunteers decide to do last Saturday, as dem clear up plastic waste wey dey around di quarry wey don dey near since. Di volunteers split into two groups to see who go clean di place fast pass. "A lot of people feel say na dia responsibility to clean up di place," Brandon Akume wey im group come second for di clean up tell BBC say plenty pipo see as as dia responsibility to keep di place clean.