Inside Ogun community where nobody dares steal

Sawonjo, an agrarian community, is nestled between Igbogila and Igan Okoto in the Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State. The journey to this enigmatic commune from Abeokuta, the state capital, is a grueling two and a half hours, made even more arduous by the bad road conditions.

Legends say the area was founded over 400 years ago by a powerful hunter, Aradokun, and his wife, Ikisho, from the old Oyo Empire. Blessed with fertile soil, Sawonjo is home to one of the largest farm settlements established by the Western regional government under the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in 1963. It played a crucial role in the country’s food production in years past.

However, the community has suffered significant deterioration, including challenges of poor infrastructure, among other issues. The deplorable condition of the Igbogila-Sawonjo-Igan Okoto-Joga Orile Road has been described as an evil impacting the area’s economy and forcing many, who would typically buy farm produce in commercial quantities, to stay away.

In addition to bad roads, the ancient community, like many rural areas in the country, lacks basic amenities like potable water. One of its two primary schools, established in 1918, is now a shadow of itself, with dilapidated buildings, though the state government recently built a block of two classrooms deemed inadequate by locals. Since 2021, Sawonjo has also been plunged into darkness due to the massive theft of electrical cables, further paralysing economic activities in the area.
Despite these challenges, a myth as old as the community itself persists: Sawonjo is reputed to be a town where nobody steals, with most residents rarely locking their doors even when going out. This may sound stranger than fiction given the prevalence of theft in many parts of the country. Chief Mulero Muibi, the Adele and second-in-command to the traditional ruler of Sawonjo, Oba Micheal Oderinde, confirmed the report during a visit to the area by Sunday PUNCH.

Muibi, an internationally trained agriculturist, stated, “What you have heard—that it is forbidden for people to steal in our community or that the people don’t engage in stealing others’ property in Sawonjo—is very accurate and real. It is an inheritance as old as the community, and we thank God for our forebears who left behind such an enduring legacy of local security that even civilization has not been able to erode.”

Expanding on this, he said, “There is a powerful deity called Aganju in our community that is consulted whenever there is a major theft or a killing, and we want to identify the perpetrators. Once the deity is consulted and necessary instructions are given, whoever is involved will not escape the swift judgment of this deity, and it is death. Therefore, people are very wary of getting involved in anything that may warrant consulting this deity, which is why we hardly lock our doors. If we do lock them, it’s maybe to keep the goats out, not necessarily for security.”
Muibi noted that the common offences in the community are domestic squabbles, including conflicts between husbands and wives, rather than issues of burglary or armed robbery.

He cited two poignant examples of the efficacy of the Aganju deity. “In 2007, during the coronation of our incumbent traditional ruler, Oba Micheal Oderinde, there was an influx of visitors from far and near. Unfortunately, many phones were stolen that day. So, we made announcements through public address systems in our churches and mosques, stating that this is Sawonjo, you don’t steal here and go scot-free. We told those who might have stolen the phones to drop them on a school field, and by the time we went there, we found 16 phones that had been returned.”

The traditional leader recounted a burglary incident involving a shop where items such as biscuits, beverages, and other daily needs were stolen. After the owner consulted Aganju, the thief, likely aware of what had transpired, reportedly dumped the stolen goods somewhere in the community. A hungry man, who consumed some of the biscuits, allegedly died a few days later.

“This is why we are not always eager to consult this deity—it is always the very last resort because once it is done, it is done. We always warn people to ensure they have done due diligence; they must ensure that what they are looking for was actually stolen. Even if your car was stolen and later found after the deity was consulted, nobody would dare use it again. It will be left to rot where it was found,” Muibi added.

A farmer from Benue State who has lived in Sawonjo for over seven years, Mr Destiny Micheal, corroborated the chief’s claims.

He said, “It is true that this community is a no-go area for thieves. Since I came here, my motorcycle has always been left outside, and nothing has happened to it. Similarly, nobody steals anything from my farm, unlike where I lived near Abeokuta before moving here. Many people know that if you steal here, you will pay dearly for it.”

Another resident, Mrs. Bukola Alayande, from Igbotako, Ondo State, who married an indigene, also confirmed the happenings in the community.
“It is like an unwritten law that you don’t dare steal in Sawonjo. It is like a culture that people have grown up with—nobody steals here because of its dire consequences. My husband’s motorcycle is always outside, along with my grinding machine and other items. The people around us are quite aware of this. It is like a natural endowment, and we cherish it,” she stated.

Another unique feature of Sawonjo is the Ikisho River, renowned for its healing powers and role in summoning rain, particularly around March/April during the planting season.

The chief priest of the river, Mr. Akintola Abiodun, said, “The uniqueness of this river is that when people with ailments drink its water, they get healed. The river is believed to be Ikisho, the wife of Aradokun, who founded Sawonjo. When we experience delays in rainfall during the planting season, the women of the community gather to fetch water from the Ikisho River and pour it on the shrine of Aradokun, which is just a few meters from the river. Once the water flows back to the river, we see heavy rainfall. We did this last year, and it worked.”

Despite these cultural practices, community leaders have lamented the hardships faced due to poor road conditions and the lack of electricity since 2021.

Chief Muibi said, “The people of this community are struggling with the bad roads and lack of electricity. We have written several letters to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and the government, but nothing has been done. I have a borehole that I installed for the community to get free water. I also bought a generator to power it, and we used to buy petrol to pump the water, but with the rising fuel prices, it has become a burden. People now have to buy water or fetch it from the river. The government should help us.”

The Iyalode of Sawonjo, Mrs. Felicia Adeniyi, lamented the community’s declining fortunes. The octogenarian leader expressed sadness over the poor road conditions and the nearly four years of blackout, which have made life unbearable for residents.

“We are known to be farmers,” Adeniyi said. “We have a farm settlement that can produce enough to feed the state, but most of our produce goes to waste because of the bad roads. We haven’t had electricity for about four years, and these challenges have significantly hindered our growth and development. With government support, our tears can be wiped away. We are seriously begging the government to help us. We need investors to establish businesses here for our children, but that depends on having good roads, which we currently lack.”
A retired teacher, Mr. Ibikunle Alani, also called on Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration to repair the Igbogila-Sawonjo-Igan Okoto-Joga Orile Road to liberate the people in these communities, boost food production, and enhance the area’s socio-economic development.

He said, “The reconstruction of this 20km road is vital to reviving our economy and food production. Opening rural access roads is crucial to tackling poverty and hunger. We beg both the state and federal governments to help us with this road. If anyone is crying of hunger, it shouldn’t be from Ogun State or neighboring states because this area has significant agricultural potential in maize, rice, cassava, and poultry production. We’re appealing to Governor Abiodun to help us end this nightmare.”

When contacted about the road’s deplorable condition, the Ogun State Commissioner for Works, Ade Adesanya, stated that the government had prioritised all roads in the state but could not do everything at once.

Asked if the community road could be included in next year’s budget, he replied, “Everything is possible.”

Regarding the prolonged blackout, the spokesperson for the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, Ogun region, Mr. Yomi Bada, said efforts were ongoing to restore electricity to the communities affected by vandalism.

He said, “The power outage in these communities is due to vandals who have destroyed our installations and stolen wires and underground cables, causing losses of up to N7bn. We are addressing this issue, and the plan is to reroute our wires and cables to ensure these communities have electricity soon. This challenge will soon be a thing of the past.”