Republic of Congo- Cross your legs for this one boys…

Private parts appear to be not only sacred but also quite in demand in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, where rumors of penis theft have begun to make the rounds. According to a Reuters report, some 14 victims, who claim that sorcerers touched them and made their genitals shrink or disappear, were detained in the capital city last week.

In response, police arrested the accused sorcerers and their victims in an effort to avoid a repeat of the bloodshed seen in Ghana a decade ago, when 12 suspected penis snatchers were beaten to death by angry mobs. Since the arrest, however, the 27 men involved in the penis-theft incidents have been released as police found that the victims’ penises were still in tact and likely in good working order, despite their protests to the contrary.

That said, reports of penis snatching are not at all uncommon in West Africa, where traditional religions and witchcraft remain common, and where ritual killings to obtain blood or body parts still occur. Yikes!

So… if you are traveling to West Africa, may I suggest an investment in a metal cod piece, preferably one with a locking device, to protect the… er… uh… family jewels as they say? Better safe than sorry no?

After all, this ain’t Bewitched honey.