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• Rumours of mysterious genital disappearance rock Nasarawa
From Abel Leonard, Lafia
Are you likely to travel to Nassarawa State any time soon? Then be prepared. There is fire on the mountain. Or put differently, there are stories of missing genitals circulating, several of which were said to have been harvested diabolically for ritual purposes
To reaffirm the fears, a video recently appeared on the social media where a young man, operating in Nasarawa Eggon, made some chilling revelations about their operation. The video, which has since gone viral, saw the boy confess of employing diabolical means to harvest his victim’s organs, adding that he was employed by a religious leader in Yobe State, who paid him N20,000 for each delivered private part.
His revelation instantly rattled the state and reinforced the suspicion of what many had heard or had suspected existed among a few dark- minded people engaged in various ritual practices. In Doma Local Government, there was a recent report of a stranger, who placed a charm in a tray of boiled groundnuts, which consequently left the girl hawker in a state of convulsion for eight hours. That left the people in a huge shock.
Similarly, in Tudun Gwandara, Lafia, a distressing incident took place recently according to accounts. That was after a victim raised an alarm that his missing manhood was stolen by a suspect. The suspect was not only nabbed but instantly lynched by an angry mob, minutes before the arrival of the police to the scene of the alleged crime.
The situation in Keffi Local Government is no less different. Reports from the community indicate that irregular harvesting of male organs is in vogue. A number of people allegedly lost their manhood to ritualists. Residents of Keffi town also said they recorded similar cases and had lodged their reports to security agencies.
All of these claims, created anxiety, especially in settlements and towns such as Lafia, Nasarawa Eggon and Keffi. In these communities, the tragic stories have been told and retold among male persons and have left their wives even much more worried at the frightening prospect of coming home to a disabled husband. In the light of all these, residents no longer trust one another. Even within families and close relatives, the trust has dropped.
Efforts to talk to some of the victims of these diabolical acts were unsuccessful as investigations are ongoing by security agencies. But the police spokesman, Ramhan Nansel, confirmed that they received reports of these cases. He assured the public that they would investigate the reports and apprehend the suspects for questioning:
“We condemn the gruesome acts that have caused fear and unrest among the residents of Nasarawa State. The Nasarawa State Police Command stands firm in its commitment to upholding the safety and security of our communities.
“As we have been doing, we will spare no effort in our pursuit of justice. Our teams are working tirelessly to bring these perpetrators to justice and put an end to this wave of criminal activity that has plagued our state.”
A police statement on Wednesday, August 23,203, allayed the fears of the residents:
“The Nasarawa State Police Command has observed with dismay the ugly trend where members of the public tag individuals of causing the mysterious disappearance of genitals and resort to mob action/jungle justice. The command wishes to state that medical examination carried out on victims who reported cases of mysterious genital disappearance in Nasarawa Eggon, Obi, Lafia and Keffi local governments gave all the victims a clean bill of health.
“The command wishes to state unequivocally that the cases of alleged mysterious genital disappearance is baseless, unfounded and without proof. Anyone caught engaging in mob action/jungle justice or raising false alarm that leads to grievous assault, occasioning harm on any member of the public shall be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.”
Meanwhile, Apostle Paul Chris Marshin, General Overseer, Treasured House- Assembly, Lafia, expressed shock at the trend while affirming that the reported cases had put the state on the edge.
He added that such inhumane practice has no place in the teachings of Christianity or Islam while imploring Christians to stand against ritualism.
An Islamic scholar, Ahmed Yusuf, described the action of the perpetrators as ungodly and inhuman, adding that the theft of any human parts by whatever means was against the core values of compassion and respect for fellow human beings as preached and practiced by the different religious faiths in Nigeria. He enjoined followers of the two leading religious groups in Nigeria to come together and combat this menace effectively.
Emir Sangari Shabu Mamud Bwala expressed dismay at the growing devilish trend. He appealed to the traditional council to collaborate with law enforcement agencies to identify and swiftly bring the culprits to book.
