So, the question is, can a human penis really be stolen? The answer is no. The reason is that it is a condition of the mind or an abnormal state of mind. In fact, nothing is wrong with their genitalia. However, something is wrong with their state of mind. More often than not, many people don’t know that the symptoms of the mind and the symptoms of the body are interwoven. Many have an existing psychiatric condition or mental disturbance.
”There are growing concerns over the activities of some criminal elements who are reportedly on the prowl in Abuja and other states of the federation stealing male genital organs. In recent times, there has been an increase in reported cases of the disappearance of genital organs in some states in the North Central, particularly in Kogi, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Benue, and the nation’s capital. Some newspapers report that while it is yet unclear how the miscreants carry out such acts, residents of the affected states have, for over a month, been living in fear following reported cases of stealing of manhood.
The ugly trend has led to the murder of some people by angry youths who descend on any person suspected of allegedly causing the mysterious disappearance of the penis. There are different accounts of how heinous crime is being perpetuated in these cities. While some said a mere conversation with the alleged manhood thief could cause the disappearance of the victim’s penis, others said it happens after physical contact, including a handshake. Yet, for others, there are indications that some of the allegations by the victims of manhood theft are false and may have sinister motives.
But how did this story of organ loss begin? How did we get here?For many Nigerians, stories of people claiming their private parts went missing, usually after a physical touch by someone else, are not new. Findings by various media outlets showed that the victims are generally men, and the body part they often claim ‘disappeared’ is the penis. Often, the victims claim they felt a sensation in their body after touching or an encounter with someone, prompting them to raise the alarm to attract a crowd, after which a ‘culprit’ is fingered as responsible, and passersby become the street court and judge.
A demand is made of the accused to replace the affected organ, and if they unfortunately fail to do so, a harsh death in the hands of a raging mob is often on the cards. For months, there have been several claims of stolen genitals across the country. Although there is no visual evidence to substantiate these claims, these stories have instilled a morbid fear among many men. Residents in Abuja said such claims had generated panic among citizens. One person, who claimed anonymity, said that such stories are familiar in the country. In fact, many men are now purchasing charcoal, bitter kola, and needles and placing them in their pockets whenever they go out because they believe these things will prevent their genitals from being stolen.
Commenting on the baffling trend, another Abuja resident, Mr. Kingsley Godwin, said that he has heard of cases of missing organs, but where are the pictures or videos to confirm these things? None. These are the results of years of people being conditioned by Nollywood and religious tales about body parts being stolen or retrieved by magic and witchcraft. Now, we are seeing the result: people readily believe these things without any proof.Letter to Rich Nigerians: Why the poor are mad, by Azu IshiekweneOsimhen prefers Chelsea move over Arsenal, TottenhamAlleged murder suspect of businesswoman in Eket, arrested in Port HarcourtFor his part, a businessman who also resides in the capital city described the missing manhood as a format used by criminals.
He said that most of the time, those being accused are the victims, and those claiming their manhood has disappeared are criminals. These criminals would position themselves around and look out for someone they know they can easily intimidate, walk up to them, and hit them. If you are frightened, the criminal will scream at the top of his voice that his penis has disappeared. This is the new method used to rob people of their valuables.
Corroborating this observation, a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Benin, Edo State, Afolabi Aroyewun, said that the root of the false allegations was economic hardship. He noted that what we are seeing now is caused by the financial problems Nigeria is currently facing. It is a situation people now use as a decoy for mob action, to steal and commit crimes. The prevalence is a result of the economic crisis because things are not accessible. Some people who have been living on charity and the goodwill of others no longer enjoy that because there is not much to give to pay for that, so they devise other ways of getting money.
Hence, the focus of people is not on the missing genitalia. When it happens, the situation is used to raise a false alarm, which would cause a mob action. While that was going on, their colleagues around the scene used the opportunity to commit several atrocities.As rumors and panic spread with the tales of missing genitals across different states, insatiable violence also began to accompany it. On November 8, 2023, the Benue state police command said it arrested two suspects for brutalizing a pastor accused of stealing a boy’s penis in Makurdi. The accused, Dr. Emmanuel Aime, is a Chief Lecturer at Akawe Torkula Polytechnic Makurdi and also a Pastor with Living Faith Church Wurukum, Makurdi. It was gathered that at about 9:30 am, the pastor and lecturer went out to preach and was accused of organ (penis) theft without any proof.
An eye witness said that he was mercilessly beaten to a coma by a mob in front of First Bank located in the Wurukum area of Makurdi, the Benue State capital, where he had gone to spread the word of God. The witness said that not long after the alarm was raised, hundreds of motorcyclists (Okada riders) gathered at the scene, as the majority of the young men joined in beating up the preacher. He emphasized that as the pastor was preaching and evangelizing close to the bank, suddenly, a boy he prayed for started shouting that Dr Aime (the pastor) had stolen his penis. The man would have been lynched if not for the intervention of the military personnel who were passing by. Confirming the incident, the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene, described the incident as unfortunate, saying two suspects had been arrested and would be made to face the wrath of the law.
She said it was a shame that some people do not have respect for the law and are bent on taking directions into their own hands. Anene said there is no such thing as organ theft and advised the people to desist from making such allegations and taking laws into their own hands.There have been other incidences where male individuals make allegations of their penis being stolen in public places in the Makurdi metropolis and its environs. In some of the incidents, those accused have been severely beaten by angry mobs and humiliated in viral videos circulated on social media platforms.
Some of the incidents include the instance at Balcony Junction, where a pastor and his member were accused of stealing a young man’s genital organ, and the accused people were beaten and stripped of their clothes. Another incident was in the modern market, where an allegation was leveled against a woman who was also humiliated and beaten. A second-hand cloth seller along Makurdi -Gboko Road, Ndubisi Oketa, argued that missing genitals are actual, saying he witnessed an incident in Wurukum Market where a missing male genital organ was returned and called for the deployment of security operatives in the market and public places where such incidences are prone.
A motorcyclist, Francis Odum, opined that people who spiritually steal male genitals used them for ritual purposes to make quick wealth for themselves. But for Kene Kenneth, a Makurdi-based journalist, the trend is a ploy by criminals to steal from unsuspecting members of the public, attributing economic hardship as a factor for criminal activity and calling on the police to pay special attention to the issue.
Commenting, a Urologist at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Professor Edwin Ogwuche, explained that the issue of missing male genital organs is an acute mental disorder called koro syndrome, where people believe their sexual organs are shrinking in their body. Koro syndrome is a multi-tiered disease presenting an overwhelming belief that one’s sexual organs are shrinking. According to the Urologist, there has never been a time where a case of missing genitals was certified at the hospital, advising the public always to request the supposed victim to expose his genitals to verify if indeed they are missing.
He also stated that the penis is a shy organ; therefore, expecting it to rise in the market or other public places is tricky.
By Matthew Ma – Standard Times. So