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The tree seems to be from scenes out of the Hollywood pre-historic blockbuster 1993 movie, Jurassic Park. It is huge, and very tall. Equally dominating are the tree’s roots that stretch out to cover the surroundings. The tree is the Amakama Wonder Tree and Wooden Cave in Abia State, South-East Nigeria.
The story of this wonder tree is the story of Isienyi Ukwu community in Amakama, Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State. The Amakama Wonder Tree and its cave are rich in history, laced with mystery. This presents a perfect grill for tourists to visit and have an experience that would be difficult to replicate in any other place.
While land caves are common in many communities, a ‘living’ tree with wooden caves, producing leaves, and a trunk with living cells are not common. In the middle of this wonder tree is a hollow cave that has for many years served as refuge to the community. It could conveniently harbour about 20 adults. It has multiple entrance and exit points; in addition, there are windows above that nature created for ventilation.
The story of Amakama wooden cave is covered with a cloak of mystery and a certain hue of supernatural beliefs that the people hold on to.
Amakama is located a few kilometres from Umuahia, the Abia State capital. The best way to get there would be to hire a cab from Isi Gate Umuahia, to Amakama, a relatively short journey but with no regular scheduled commercial cabs.
As part of the efforts to promote tourist sites in Abia State, the Tour Abia group, led by its leader, Mrs Onyekachi Atuloma, embarked on a tour of this community to see the ancient tree and the wooden cave.
Talking about Amakama, Atuloma said: “That place is better than I was told. The Amakama community has eight clans, and in the place with the wonder tree, there are eight tall trees representing the eight communities, although four of these trees have fallen. We are told there is a kind of mystery behind the trees, especially the biggest of them which has the wooden cave.”
The place is like a grove with other ancient trees, about eight in number which signifies the eight clans that make up Amakama. According to the tradition of the place, the Amakama wonder tree and the wooden cave are selective in terms of people that visit. It has its special do’s and don’ts that visitors are expected to strictly adhere to while visiting the wooden cave.
Not adhering to the traditionally laid down laws of the wooden cave could lead to misfortune or disaster. What makes it special is the ambience around the tree. Not many would claim to have ever seen anything like that in their whole life. There are hollow entrances to the bowel of the tree, with an equally hollow space inside the tree that stretches tens of kilometres upward. One could see the sky from inside the hollow of the tree. In addition, the space inside the tree is so large that it could take up to 20 adult persons to hide inside comfortably. The height of the tree is more than 150 meters. It is so tall.
The tree has about four ‘windows’. The tree’s flowers grow at the roof top. It is a unique flower with five ‘fingers’.
Talking about the history of the tree, Atuloma said the custodian of the tree explained: “He said the tree is as old as the community, and that he didn’t just learn the history, the mystery tree selected him, that nobody teaches anyone the history. It is passed supernaturally. The spirit of the tree selects the indigene it wants to be the custodian of history. It is not something one grows up and somebody would sit and teach one about the history of the tree. Before him, there was an elderly man who was the custodian of the tree.”
The tree is not just physical, it also has mysteries and spirituality surrounding it. “If you want to enter the cave, if you know that your hands are not clean, you are forbidden from entering the cave. You should confess, and there are one or two things you would be told to do before entering the cave. However, if a person refuses to say, and enters the cave, the person would be attacked by bees.
“Also, a menstruating woman is not allowed to enter the cave. Also, men honoured with chieftaincy titles in the communities but are not upright but engage in deceit are not allowed to enter the cave.
“That day that we went, one of the indigenes stabbed his brother, which according to tradition, is a taboo. An hour after we had left, we were told that there was a mysterious fire in the cave.”
Within the area, there is also a demarcated area with the ancestral stool for the crowning of the traditional ruler of the community.
Also, the Amakama wooden cave was said to act as a protective abode to the community during wars: “In the olden days, when inter-community warfare was common, the wooden cave served as a protective sanctuary for the community. Once the villagers run inside the cave, no enemy can get them there,” Atuloma said.
The tree is very much alive, especially from the outside. While the tree is fresh with living cells from outside, the hollow cave inside is all dry and lifeless.
Atuloma, a former General Manager of the Abia State Tourism Board, believes that if effectively promoted with other tourism sites in the state, it will attract thousands of tourists and improve the economy of the state.
