Glimpsing The Secrets Behind Zuma Rock's Stony Stare

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June 23, 2024

As I child, my family and I usually went on road trips round the country. My father valued education through practical methods like sight seeing, so when we went on our summer holiday, we would travel from where we lived in Jos Plateau State to our hometown in Ogun State. In the course of our journey we would pass from Plateau State, through Kaduna, Nassarawa, Abuja, Niger, Kogi and then some other states before we would reach our location. One of the highlights of my journey was trying to make out the face of Zuma rock whilst passing through. Zuma Rock is a large natural monolith, or inselberg composed of gabbro and granodiorite, in Niger State, Nigeria. Standing at 2,500 ft tall, it is higher than the height of Nigeria’s popular Aso Rock and Olumo Rock put together, a true definition of giant. It is located in the west of Nigeria's capital, Abuja, along the main road from Abuja to Kaduna off Madala, and is sometimes referred to as the "Gateway to Abuja from Suleja". It was once thought to be in the Federal Capital Territory but is actually located at the upper end of Madalla, a rural settlement in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State. Majestic in its appearance, the other mountains in and around Abuja and Niger State stay a respectable distance from it; actually paying it a kind of obeisance for its royal presence in the area.

There is no precise account pertaining to the origin of the rock, however, Zuma Rock is said to have been first located in a thick forest by the people of Zuba in the 15th century upon the instruction of their soothsayer. The Zuba people named the rock, “Zumwa”, which means “the place of catching guineafowls” upon finding out that there were many within the forest. At their arrival in the forest, they settled around it and constructed settlements, and later discovered the spiritual representation of the rock as a powerful deity. They turned to worshipping and offering sacrifices to the rock to protect them and keep them safe from evil. Over time, the people of Gwari used the rock as a defense and hideout against invading neighboring tribes and external forces. The rugged surface of Zuma rock is etched with lines which sketch the contours of an image of a human face. If observed closely, an apparent mouth, eyes and nose can be made out of the contours. It is an age old legend that beneath that stony stare holds many secrets, some revealed and some still a mystery to this day.

The natives of the community believe the face represents the deity and ancestral powers protecting and governing the affairs of the community. The Gwari people also acknowledge the rock as a gateway for the after life, It is believed that when people die, their spirits go to the rock. Another yet interesting myth suggests that the Zuma Rock sits on a very large expanse of underground water. It is believed that if the rock is pulled down, there will be an outburst of water which will submerge an unimaginable land area. It is also believed that the rock catches fire during the rainy season and it protects against a disastrous outburst.

Several centuries down the line, Zuma Rock still has multiple mysterious stories woven around it. Some natives have tales of unseen evil spirits dwelling in the belly of the rock. Others regard it as a den for ritualists, a hidden temple for initiation into the world of the occult and an abode for daredevil armed robbers who seek temporary refuge there whenever they conclude a successful operation and want to share their loot or when security agencies are on their trail. Some people also say it is impossible to sleep around there at night because of the strange voices that echo around. Not far from the rock is an uncompleted white edifice known as the Zuma Rock Hotel. The 39 year old 5 star hotel building (nicknamed haunted house) was abandoned half way and uncompleted because of the strange scary sound that comes out of zuma rock. Some residents of the area believe that the hotel was a haunted zone, hence it was abandoned by its owners. In the course of exploring the area and trying to uncover the mysteries behind the rock, residents living within the radius of the rock have given varying accounts. Some are of the opinion that the evil spirits had relocated, allowing a hiatus in order for people to start undergoing activities on the small divisions of land near the rock. Yet some residents believe the evil spirits are still living in the bowels of the rock and do exhibit strange powers especially during odd hours of the night. For years, superstitious beliefs about the psychic powers of the iconic Zuma Rock has deluged the Nigerian landscape, making many to dread the rock with passion. The superstitious disposition of many about the rock has continued unabated even after some intrepid rock climbers went to the zenith of the rock and came back without any affliction.

An interesting fact about the famous Zuma Rock is that it was featured on the old version of 100 Naira currency banknote of Nigeria but has been removed from the newer version to stay ahead of counterfeiters.

It is impossible to ascertain whether the myths and legends surrounding Zuma rock are completely verified, but one thing that we know for certain is that it is indeed a majestic and beautiful piece of nature's art.

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