- Investigations show most allegations are baseless, unfounded
BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The return of widespread allegations of disappearance of male genitals and breasts has increased cases of jungle justice in Nigeria, findings by The Point have revealed.
Hardly would a day pass without a report of a ‘missing’ male organ, especially at markets, motor parks, ceremonial gatherings and other public places in some satellite towns of Nigeria.
These mysterious happenings of genital disappearance and missing breasts have become rampant in some northern states of Nigeria like Nasarawa, Kaduna, Kogi and Abuja.
The situation has been more pronounced in the Federal Capital Territory as residents have, for over a month now, been living in fear, following reported cases of alleged ‘stealing’ of male organs by some persons suspected to be ritualists.
Some residents raised the alarm, claiming that their male organs had been stolen or had disappeared after body contact with a stranger, or a handshake, a situation that had, several times, led to jungle justice by angry mob.
In most cases, such suspects, when apprehended, are rescued from the hands of the mob by security agents and handed over to the Police after being beaten severely. Some who are not lucky are killed in the process.
An incident of missing genitals occurred at Sabon-Tasha motor park in Abaji Area Council of Abuja on September 14, 2023, where a man identified as Godwin, a commercial bus driver, was reported to have allegedly stolen another man’s male organ, identified as Sadiq.
The victim claimed that the suspect, who was travelling with passengers from Zuba to Edo State, stopped over at Abaji, where he had a handshake and asked him where he could buy drinks.
Shortly after that, the victim raised the alarm that his genital organ had disappeared, a situation that led to the arrest of the driver by some people around the motor park, where he was beaten by a mob and later rescued to the police area command.
The driver was said to have been freed by the Police after the victim, who was taken to the hospital, later confirmed that his male organ had returned.
Also, three persons, including a commercial cyclist, were said to have raised the alarm that their male organsgot missing at Anguwar Gede in Kuje Area Council of the FCT on September 15, 2023.
The incident, it was learnt, attracted the attention of an angry mob that descended on the suspects with dangerous weapons until they claimed to have returned the alleged stolen male organ.
It was gathered that the suspects were later rescued and taken to the police station in the area. In other areas of the FCT, including Gwagwalada, some women have raised the alarms of missing breasts.
Manhood disappearance crisis has also found its way to the shores of Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State, resulting in the death of three suspects as a result of mob action.
The first alarm was raised recently at a shop behind Dunamis Church in Lokoja when the shop owner screamed for help, alleging that his male organ had disappeared.
An eyewitness said confusion started when the shop owner felt a shock in his body and thereafter touched his genital, only to allegedly discover that it had disappeared. The victim’s cry for help attracted neighbours and passersby to the scene where a mob action led to the death of three persons.
Similarly, in Nasarawa State, The Point learned that the first reported case of a missing male genital was in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area, where a 19-year-old boy was arrested. The video went viral.
In Lafia, the state capital, the story of the disappearance of male genitals became rampant a few weeks ago. At Tudun Kwandara, it was alleged that three persons lost their genitals.
This was followed by cases at the Federal University, Lafia, Modern Market, Lafia, as well as Tudun Kauri. Keffi Local Government Area was not left out as some students also complained that they could not find their genitals.
Some suspects in Lafia, Musa Saidu and John Michael, said they narrowly escaped jungle justice as a result of false allegations penultimate Thursday. They said they were traumatised by the incident as they were luckily saved by the Police.
To this end, The Point learned that some Nigerian men in the affected states are now reluctant to shake hands with strangers out of fear that their manhood would go missing.
The earliest record of an instance of missing manhood was in the 70s during the first oil boom. Those who could not get their hands on the oil were said to have reached out for something with which they could mint their own money. That was when a handshake first led to the alleged disappearance of a man’s penis.
It soon became part of Nigeria’s urban legend. Year after year, especially towards the month of December when the quest for quick money is usually at its peak, instances of missing genitals increased. But the authenticity of these claims has yet to be established.
In 2001, over 12 people were lynched in one weekend in Osun and Oyo states over such incidents. It was the climax of a mass hysteria that swept through Ife and Osogbo.
Meanwhile, various police commands in these states and FCT have warned residents against jungle justice and false alarm.
Specifically, the Nasarawa State Police Command warned residents against raising alarms, mob actions and taking the law into their hands over the claims.
The Command also warned against accusing some persons of causing the alleged mysterious disappearance of genitals.
In a statement by the Command’s spokesman, Ramham Nansel, in Lafia, the Police declared that medical examination conducted on victims with cases of mysterious genital disappearance in Nasarawa Eggon, Obi, Lafia and Keffi Local Government Areas of the state gave all the victims a clean bill of health.
“In view of the forgoing, the Nasarawa Police Command wishes to state unequivocally that cases of alleged mysterious genital disappearance are baseless, unfounded and without proof.
“Anyone caught engaging in mob action and jungle justice or raising false alarm leading to grievous assault or harm on any member of the public shall be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law,” the Police said.
A public affairs analyst, Kingsley Abogunde, said some Nigerians might be faking the disappearance of genitals to maim their adversaries through jungle justice and therefore called on security agencies not to take the raging issues with levity.
He expressed worry at the increasing cases of jungle attacks, wondering how people easily believed claims of purported victims even when their genitals could still be seen within their legs.
“What is disturbing to me is the way people speedily carry out jungle justice without investigating the claims by the purported victims. Nobody has ever asked the accuser to drop his pants and show his missing manhood. Nobody has shown us a picture of a man with a disappeared manhood. So, I think some people may be creating this panic to hurt their adversaries. Our security agencies should rise to the situation and be more proactive,” he said.
