Inside the Ogun community where no one dares to steal

Savonjo, an agrarian community located between Igbogila and Igan Okoto in Yewa North Local Government Area of ​​Ogun State. The journey to this mysterious commune from Abeokuta, the state capital, takes a grueling two and a half hours, made even more difficult by poor road conditions.

Legends say that this area was founded over 400 years ago by the powerful hunter Aradokun and his wife Ikisho from the old Oyo Empire. Blessed with fertile soil, Savondzo is home to one of the largest farming settlements established by the Western Regional Government under the leadership of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1963. In past years, it played a crucial role in the country’s food production.

However, the situation in the community has deteriorated significantly, including problems of poor infrastructure, among other things. The deplorable state of the Igbogila-Sawonjo-Igan Okoto-Yoga Orile road has been described as an evil affecting the economy of the region and forcing many who usually buy agricultural produce in commercial quantities to stay away.

In addition to poor roads, this ancient village, like many rural areas of the country, lacks basic amenities such as drinking water. One of the two primary schools, founded in 1918, is now a shadow of its former self, with dilapidated buildings, although the state government recently built a block of two classrooms, which locals consider unsatisfactory. Since 2021, Savondzo has also been plunged into darkness due to massive theft of electrical cables, further paralyzing economic activity in the area.

Despite these problems, a myth as old as the community itself persists: Savondzo has a reputation as a city where no one steals, and most residents rarely lock their doors even when going outside. This may seem stranger than fiction, given the prevalence of theft in many parts of the country. Chief Mulero Muibi, Adele and Deputy Traditional Ruler of Savonjo, Oba Michael Oderinde, confirmed the report during a visit to the area by Sunday PUNCH.

Muibi, an internationally trained agronomist, said: “What you heard – that people in our community are not allowed to steal or that people do not steal other people’s property in Savonjo – is very accurate and real. This legacy is as old as the community itself, and we thank God for our ancestors who left behind such a lasting legacy of local security that even civilization could not destroy.”

Elaborating on the theme, he said: “In our community, there is a powerful deity called Aganju who is consulted whenever there is a major theft or murder and we want to identify the culprits. Once a deity is consulted and given the necessary instructions, whoever is involved will not escape that deity’s swift judgment, and that is death. So people are very wary of anything that might warrant consultation with this deity, which is why we hardly lock the doors. If we do lock them, it’s probably to keep the goats out, not necessarily for safety reasons.”

Muibi noted that domestic disputes, including conflicts between husbands and wives, are common offenses in the community, rather than burglary or armed robbery.

He gave two striking examples of the effectiveness of the deity Aganju. “In 2007, during the coronation of our current traditional ruler, Oba Michael Oderinde, there was an influx of visitors from near and far. Unfortunately, many phones were stolen that day. So we made announcements over the public address systems in our churches and mosques, saying this is Savonjo, you can’t steal here and get away with it. We told anyone who might have stolen the phones to dump them on the school field and by the time we got there we found 16 phones that had been returned.”

A traditional leader narrated a burglary incident at a store where goods such as biscuits, drinks and other daily necessities were stolen. After the owner consulted Aganju, the thief, probably knowing what had happened, reportedly dumped the stolen property somewhere in the village. A hungry man who ate some of the cookies allegedly died a few days later.

“That is why we do not always seek to consult this deity – it is always the last resort, because once the job is done, it is done. We always warn people to do their due diligence; they need to make sure that what they are looking for has actually been stolen. Even if your car was stolen and then found after consulting the deity, no one would dare to use it again. It will be left to rot where it was found,” Muibi added.

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

He said: “It is true that this settlement is a no-go zone for thieves. Since I came here, my motorcycle has always remained outside and nothing has happened to it. Likewise, no one 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 is married to an indigene, also confirmed what is happening in the community.

“It’s like an unwritten law that you don’t dare steal in Savonjo. It’s similar to the culture people grew up in: no one steals because of the dire consequences. My husband’s motorcycle is always outside along with my sander and other things. The people around us understand this very well. It’s like a natural gift and we cherish it,” she said.

Another unique feature of Savonzo is the Ikisho River, known for its healing properties and ability to produce rain, especially in March/April during the planting season.

The chief priest of the river, Mr. Akintola Abiodun, said: “The unique thing about this river is that when people with ailments drink its water, they are healed. The river is believed to be Ikisho, the wife of Aradokun, the founder of Savonzo. When we experience delayed rainfall during the planting season, the women of the community gather to draw water from the Ikisho River and pour it on the Aradokun Temple, which is located just a few meters from the river. As soon as the water returns to the river, we see heavy rain. We did it last year and it worked.”

Despite these cultural traditions, community leaders lament the difficulties they have faced due to poor roads and lack of electricity since 2021.

Chief Muibi said: “Residents of this community are struggling with poor roads and lack of electricity. We wrote several letters to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and the government but nothing was done. I have a well that I installed for the population to get free water. I also bought a generator to power it, and we used to buy gasoline to pump out the water, but with the rise in fuel prices, it has become a burden. People now have to buy water or bring it from the river. The government must help us.”

Iyalode Savonjo, Mrs. Felicia Adeniyi, lamented the deteriorating condition of the community. The octogenarian leader lamented poor road conditions and a nearly four-year power outage that have made life miserable for residents.

“We are known to be farmers,” Adeniyi said. “We have a farming community that can produce enough to feed the state, but most of our produce is wasted due to poor roads. We have not had electricity for about four years now and these problems have significantly hampered our growth and development. With government support, our tears can be wiped away. We seriously ask the government to help us. We need investors to set up businesses here for our children, but that depends on having good roads, which we don’t have right now.”

A retired teacher, Mr. Ibikunle Alani, also called on the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun to repair the Igbogila-Sawonjo-Igan Okoto-Yoga Orile road to liberate the people in these communities, increase food production and improve the socio-economic development of the region.

He said: “Rebuilding this 20km road is vital to reviving our economy and food production. Opening rural access roads is critical to fighting poverty and hunger. We ask the state and federal governments to help us along the way. If anyone is crying famine, it should not be from Ogun State or neighboring states as the area has significant agricultural potential in the production of maize, rice, cassava and poultry. We appeal to Governor Abiodun to help us put an end to this nightmare.”

When Ogun State Commissioner for Works, Ade Adesanya, was asked about the deplorable condition of the road, he said the government had prioritized all roads in the state but could not do everything at once.

Asked whether a public road could be included in next year’s budget, he replied: “Anything is possible.”

Regarding the prolonged power outage, the Ogun Region Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company spokesman, Mr. Yomi Bada, said efforts were ongoing to restore power supply to communities affected by the vandalism.

He said: “The power outage in these communities was due to vandals who destroyed our installations and stole wires and underground cables, causing losses amounting to up to N7 billion. We are addressing this issue and we are planning to reroute our wires and cables to provide electricity to these communities soon. This problem will soon be a thing of the past.”