“Oga, how you dey now? Oga, abeg wait.”

I looked over my shoulder to see two dishevelled and strange-looking men hurrying towards me. I waited abruptly to observe the two of them closely. But I could not immediately recollect where I had met them.  

As they caught up with me, one of them extended his arm in a gesture of handshake. I kept my hand to myself, still wondering where we had met, leaving the unfamiliar man’s extended hand hanging in the air.

“Oga. sorry o, these your faces are not familiar.” Please remind me of where we met. I said, looking at the man who made the handshaking gesture. 

When he realised I was not going to return his handshake, he lowered his hand. His friend later replied to my inquiry. Both of them wanted directions. I dismissed them with a wave of the hand and pretended I was not familiar with the area. They both disappeared into one of the streets. 

As they walked away, I thought it was strange to rush towards a stranger offering a handshake just because I wanted to ask for directions. My instinct had also kicked in. Exchanging handshakes would be considered a friendly gesture in normal times. But with the rate male genitals are allegedly ‘disappearing’ by just shaking hands and touching, I did not want to be the latest ‘victim’. Not that I believed the stories, though. 

Every day, all over the country, reports of penis theft have been grabbing the headlines. Men are now gripped with fear of losing their manhood just by a mere shake of hand or body contact. This newspaper reported a whopping 63 cases of missing male organs in Abuja. Thankfully, the police have assured us that these reports are hoaxes. 

But should we take the police’s words for it? 

The confession of an alleged penis thief says otherwise. A 30-year-old Joshua Yonana, who was arrested recently, disclosed how they have been stealing male manhood, saying that they often apply spiritual charms on their palms to steal the penis. 

The suspect said he used the same charm to steal the penis of one Usman Sale at Sabon Garin Nabardo, Toro LGA of Bauchi State. The man told journalist during the suspects’ parade, “It is true that I steal the manhood of a man. We apply spiritual charms on our palms, and whoever we shake hands with, his penis will be removed.”

Scary right? Should we still believe the police after Joshua Yohana’s confession above?

The reports of penis theft and the atmosphere of fear have led to violent mob action across the country. Indeed, the alleged disappearances are spreading like wild bushfires across the country. People accused of the magical disappearance of the male genitals are being lynched. 

In Calabar, fifteen male genitals were said to have disappeared with no traces. But nobody has actually come forward to confirm their penis did disappear except that they felt a certain type of way after a handshake. While some victims have reportedly had their organs restored by the perpetrators, the state government has debunked these rumours. In Nasarawa State, about 50 cases of alleged genital disappearance have also been reported. 

As the panic spreads, men are said to be now wary of exchanging handshakes with random strangers. Some are said to have formed the routine of covering their privates with the palm of their hand in crowded places. To underscore the fact that male genital disappearance is fueled by superstitious beliefs, men in Calabar have reportedly resorted to carrying along in their pockets bitter kola and alligator pepper. These items are said to have the potency to ward off any diabolical attempt to take one’s penis. 

Male genital disappearance may have been on the rise in 2023, but there is historical precedence to this phenomenon. Indeed, there were historical instances of reported penis theft in Nigeria, with outbreaks occurring in the past, such as between 1975 and 1977, and another resurgence in 1990. These incidents have contributed to the perpetuation of these cultural beliefs. 

The belief in penis disappearance has become part of Nigeria’s urban legend. It is often associated with superstitious beliefs and rumours of individuals, particularly men, falling victim to the theft of their manhood, often through actions like handshakes with strangers. Frank Bures, writing in Harper’s Magazine, recalled an encounter with a certain Dr Ilechukwu in a particularly striking incident in 1975. He wrote, “In 1975, while posted to Kaduna, in the north of Nigeria, Dr Ilechukwu was sitting in his office when a policeman escorted in two men and asked for a medical assessment. 

One of the men had accused the other of making his penis disappear. This had caused a major disturbance in the street. As Ilechukwu tells it, the victim stared straight ahead during the examination, after which the doctor pronounced him normal. “Exclaiming,” Ilechukwu wrote, “the patient looked down at his groin for the first time, suggesting that the genitals had just reappeared.” 

But why is there a sudden increase in the number of alleged penis thefts in the country? What factors are driving recent cases? Is it a resurgence of age-long urban legend, or is it for ritual or economic reasons? The Calabar cases may provide some answers. An unconfirmed report said that organs are being sold for N600,000 but that recently, owing to market forces and high demand, the price has gone up to N1 million per organ. Another reason given is that the ritualists use them to make money. 

Though these claims have not been confirmed, if some people indeed believe that male genitals can be used for money rituals, then isn’t it glaring why more cases are being reported? But more worrisome is the role of Nigeria’s enforcement agencies arising from a viral video that emerged in Abuja a few days ago. 

In the video, an official of the NSDC was seen assaulting an alleged penis thief. The two men whose penises were supposed to have been stolen were seen pleading that his genitals be restored. The man accused of theft looked dumbfounded until the NSDC officials started to assault him.

In the middle of the assault, an NSCDC brought out a dagger threatening to stab the alleged penis thief. The other NSCDC officers who were armed were all the time threatening to shoot the man. 

The disturbing scene played out at the headquarters of the security agency. To date, the fate of the alleged penis thief is unknown. Isn’t it worrisome that officers of Nigeria’s security agency also believe that penises can be stolen? These are supposed to be the people Nigerians expect to protect them from the mob.

Already, some Nigerians are losing their lives to angry mobs as cases rise in states in the North-Central, particularly in Kogi, Nasarawa, Kaduna and the nation’s capital Abuja. In Calabar and Abuja, three men were lynched.

According to studies conducted on this phenomenon, penis theft is not really related to a physical disappearance but rather a psychological belief that men think their penises have shrunk or been stolen due to supernatural influences. 

Also another factor is the Koro Syndrome which is a culture-bound syndrome and irrational phobia in which individuals, primarily in Asia and Africa, believe that their genitalia, including the penis, is shrinking or retracting into the body. 

This is often linked to supernatural or cultural beliefs and can result in intense anxiety and panic. In some cases, cultural practices and beliefs in the supernatural, such as “juju,” have been associated with the belief in stolen penises. 

But in spite of assurances from science and police, can male genitals really be stolen based on the confession of the penis thief, Joshua Yohana? Well, as for me, I will err on the side of caution and keep avoiding handshakes from strangers. 

The Police have said penis theft is a hoax. Mob justice is not.