Abuja community where frying bean cakes is a taboo


Myths and taboos are a common phenomenon in Africa. Many of these myths and taboos are however gradually giving way to newer beliefs. But in Chukunku community in the Kuje area of the Federal Capital Territory, it still remains a taboo for the people to fry bean cakes popularly referred to as akara in local parlance.

The Nation was told that even though people do eat the delicacy in their respective homes, it is a taboo to do so in the open or even attempt to fry and sell it on the streets of the community. Why is this so? Engr. Joseph who resides in the community told The Nation that when he first came to the community, his wife wanted to start the business of frying akara for sale. According to him, they were immediately warned against doing so with the excuse that it offends their culture. Many residents of the community would not speak on why it is a taboo to fry akara in the community. Some of those who chose to speak only did so in camera, explaining that it is a tradition that has been with them for several decades and from the inception of the community.

There are two versions however to the origin of this taboo, but the two had similarity which is to stop witches from operating and killing people in the community. One version had it that the frying of akara was stopped in the community by the founding fathers to stop witches from using the oil used in the frying of the akara to perpetuate evil and kill people at night. The other version had it that it was stopped to prevent the witches from using the smoke from the process as a channel to enter the community to attack people at night. Even though some residents offered to speak on the issue, their friends and relatives would not let them speak for fear of offending the gods of the land.

Investigations revealed that all those who are interested in venturing into the business of frying and selling akara either have to go outside the community or relocate from the community where they can easily find cheap accommodation.

Although Saturday Nation could not get the Village Head, to speak on the tradition and why people in the community are banned from frying akara, those close to him said they cannot go against the tradition which was handed down to them by their fore fathers. One of them who pleaded not to be named said: “For many years, we have never fried akara in this community. We grew up to meet the tradition which was started by our fore fathers. It has been part of our culture that nobody living in this community fries akara. I don’t know why it is so; but that is just the way we met it. Anybody who want to eat akara here will have to go to Gwagwalada to buy.

Interestingly, while the community still dwells in this old age tradition, it is suffering from what appears to be total neglect by the government. Even though it is a few minutes drive from the University town of Gwagwalada, one of the commercial centres of the Federal Capital Territory, it is still stuck in this old tradition. Engr, Joseph who claimed to have lived in the community for several years said he is yet to understand the rationale for the ban. He said: “I came in here and was told about it and I just have to respect their laws. It has nothing to do with us. I know that one can do the frying inside one’s house and no one will know about it unless you announce it.”

Although residents of the town are not ready to willingly talk about this taboo, they are quick to tell you that the government has neglected the  community, even though they play an important role in bringing the government to power. Many of them still depend on the River in the area for water while those who can afford it, are at the mercy of water vendors who rely on privately dug boreholes to get water which they sell to members of the community.  The town lacks some basic amenities like good roads, pipe borne water and electricity. Investigations by The Nation revealed that children in the community still defecate in the open, thereby creating a potential health hazard in the community.    Mohammed Musa, a resident of the community told  The Nation that wealthy individuals who reside in the community have taken advantage of the lack of potable drinking water to sink bore holes in the community where they sell water. He stated further that even the promise from government to ensure that they have good drinking water has not materialized. The government, through the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory Olajumoke Akinjide, had promised to channel water to them through the stream in the village, a promise that is yet to be fulfiled. As he said: “Since 2011, the minister had promised that our river here will be a source of water for us but up till now, we have not received any feedback from her. She came here with our chairman then. We need government to distribute water to our different villages”. They are also not happy about power supply to the community which they said is very epileptic as they can stay for several days without power supply and this has affected economic activities  in the community.

One other interesting thing about this community is the fact that even though they seek modernity, children in the community still go to the several refuse dumps which liters the community to defecate, creating health hazard in the community. Surprisingly, The Nation was informed some parents actually take their children to the refuse dump to defecate not minding the likely implication and the health hazard associated with the action. Yakubu Musa who resides close to the community said that it is clear that many of these parents are not even aware of the heal implications of allowing the children to defecate in the open and on top of the refuse dump, an action which exposes them to several diseases including cholera and other air borne diseases. Unfortunately, the children do not wash their hands after defecating and health workers are worried that if nothing is done and fast, the community might have an outbreak of epidemic soon, especially considering the fact that they lack quality drinking water.