The Police Command in Enugu State is investigating a complaint of alleged weakness of male genital organ or impotence by Mr Sunday Ebubechukwu, after a handshake with a suspect identified as Anayo.
The incident may be a re-enactment of mass hysteria over cases of vanishing genitalia, prevalent in the 90s and early 2000s, in which scores of people were lynched.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Ebere Amaraizu, said that the latest incident happened on Sept. 13 within the Obiagu axis of Ogui area of Enugu metropolis.
The police spokesman identified the suspect, who allegedly weakened the manhood of Ebechukwu, as Anayo, a physically challenged person.
“The Command through its operatives of Ogui Division is unraveling the mystery surrounding an alleged complaint of feeling of weakness of a male genital organ of a man shortly after his handshake with another man in Enugu.
“Sunday Ebubechukwu on that fateful day raised an alarm which attracted sympathisers to the scene at Obiagu on the ground that someone whom he allegedly had handshake with may have caused the instant weakness of his manhood.
“Thereby causing his manhood dysfunction instantly. It was however gathered that the alarm he raised prompted sympathisers around to descend heavily on the alleged suspect, Anayo.
“The suspect was said to be receiving beating of his life before police operatives from Ogui Division promptly intervened and rescued him,’’ he said.
Amaraizu said that investigation was being carried out on the incident.
In the past, some Nigerians had complained about vanishing organs after handshake or contact with strangers, leading to the lynching of the unfortunate suspects. In 2001, 12 people accused of stealing genitals were lynched in Osun state alone.