NSCDC parades octogenarian caught with ladies’ pants
By Sunmola Olowookere
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The Ondo State Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), yesterday paraded a 70-year-old man Kayode Michael who was nabbed for being in possession of ladies’ underwears around Danjuma area in Akure.
Meanwhile, the state Police Command has confirmed the arrest of the man, saying only one of such case had been reported in the state.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph disclosed this while speaking with The Hope Metro in Akure.
He admitted that such a case was reported in Danjuma area of Akure, in which the elderly man was caught, stealing used sanitary pads from a trash bin in the area.
Joseph said the suspect was arrested on January 3, this year by the people and handed over to men of the NSCDC who are currently investigating the matter.
It would be recalled that there had been reports of such development in the media.
Last year, a man was arrested in Oyo state in connection with such a crime and he was reported to have confessed to the police that he was stealing the underwear in order to use them for ritual purposes.
In November last year also, students of Delta State University, Abraka – popularly known as DELSU were attacked by these panties robbers.
According to multiple reports, unknown hoodlums stopped girls and snatched their panties at gunpoint for reasons best known to them but which most people believed to be for ritual purposes.
It was also claimed in one of the online reports that some girls were also forced by the gunmen to urinate in cellophane bags.
Joseph, while fielding questions from The Hope Metro stated that the men of the command are aware of the dangerous trend of panties theft and are on the look out to nip it in the bud in Ondo state.
He said though it was not yet rampant in the state, the command would not want to take chances.
Reacting to the comment of one of his colleagues advocating that pant thieves should be charged for attempted murder in view of the dreaded consequence of the crime on the victim, Joseph cautioned that cases must be properly investigated and questions asked before an accused is charged with any offence.
The Zonal Police PRO, Dolapo Badmus who advocated for the charge via Instagram, had revealed that those caught in the act had confessed to using the panties for rituals.
“According to some of the apprehended panties’ thieves, the owners of the stolen underwears end up dying prematurely.
“Henceforth, anyone caught stealing pants might not be charged for stealing, but attempted murder,” she stated.
The Ondo State Police Command spokesman, however, assured the citizens of the state that the police is at alert and will not allow the crime to assume such proportions in the State.