NMA rejects claims of magical genital theft in Rivers

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Rivers has dismissed claims that a person’s genitalia or any body part can be stolen through physical or spiritual means.

The association’s Public Relations Officer, Dr Siene Orogun, gave the clarification while speaking with journalists on Thursday in Port Harcourt.

Orogun was reacting to a viral video on social media showing a man, Daso Ogan, being beaten and allegedly detained over claims that he had “magically” stolen another man’s genitalia.

She described the allegation as unfounded and unknown to medical science and Nigerian law.

According to her, a handshake or physical contact cannot cause the disappearance, shrinking or dysfunction of a person’s genitalia or any other body part.

“There is no biological or scientific evidence to support such claims.

“However, the experience of it feeling real is a recognised medical condition known as Koro Syndrome or Genital Retraction Syndrome,” she said.

Orogun, a Public Health Physician at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), explained that people suffering from the condition genuinely believed that their genitalia had shrunk or disappeared.

She noted, however, that medical examinations consistently revealed no anatomical changes.

“The fear itself triggers physical responses. Anxiety can reduce blood flow and suppress erectile function, creating the impression that the organ has shrunk or lost function.

“The organ remains intact. What is real is the psychiatric and physiological effect of extreme fear, and that is entirely treatable,” she explained.

Orogun described Koro Syndrome as a ”mass psychogenic illness in which fear spreads rapidly within communities,” stressing the need for public health education and psychiatric support.

She urged residents to seek medical attention rather than resort to violence or superstition when confronted with such fears.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of Lawyers Watch for Justice International Initiative, Mr Gbenga Oladapo, said allegations of magical genital theft had no legal basis.

“Our legal system is evidence-based. Such claims can only be established through credible medical evidence.

“In the absence of such evidence, the allegation amounts to a false accusation, and the accuser may be the one violating the law,” he said.

Oladapo stated that provisions of the Rivers State Criminal Code criminalised false publications and false accusations against individuals.

He added that allegations of witchcraft or magical theft should be investigated and prosecuted if found to be false.

The legal practitioner also condemned the alleged assault of the accused by members of a local vigilante group.

“It is unfortunate when groups established to support security agencies resort to physically abusing suspects. Such actions undermine justice and due process,” he said.

Oladapo urged vigilante groups to limit their role to identifying suspects and handing them over to law enforcement agencies for proper investigation and prosecution.

He stressed that effective community policing required cooperation with the police rather than the operation of parallel systems of punishment.

He said the recurring claims of genital theft in some communities were driven by fear, misinformation and misconceptions rather than medical or legal realities.