Yahoo Boys Madness: We No Longer Wear Pants – Delta Ladies

Although the veracity of the claims that such stolen undies are used for ritual purposes has not been established, such reports have instilled fear into the hearts of ladies living in such areas, resulting in fear and panic.

And in the ensuing panic, The Punch observed that many ladies in the affected areas in Delta have been devising ways to safeguard themselves against danger.

It was learnt that the underwear of girls and women, particularly of ages between 14 and 35, are allegedly considered as ‘hot cakes’ for use by the ritualists.

Used pants, according to some students at Asaba campus of the Delta State University, sells for as much as N350,000, with some adding that the price can be higher if it is confirmed to have body fluids.

At the campus, it was learnt that one of the measures being used by female students to protect themselves is to go out without wearing pants.

For instance, a student of the school, who lives outside the school campus and who only identified herself as Esther, said three of her friends had started employing the strategy of going out without wearing pants.

“We hear that the pants those ritualists or ‘Yahoo boys’ steal are being used for money ritual. After they finish performing some rituals on the pants, the owners will start bleeding or vomiting blood. Since the news got to us, three of my friends have stopped wearing pants. I have stopped going out at night, even for something as important as going to the campus to study at night. Although, I heard that these evil people also operate during the day, I believe it is more dangerous at night.

“We heard that last week, on Anwai Road, at around 8pm, two men forcibly collected a young lady’s pants. As I speak to you, we have not seen the lady since then to know the effect it will have on her. Though, unlike my friends who have stopped wearing pants, I still do, but we have been advised to stop hanging our pants on washing lines outside.

A 22-year-old female student of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, who simply identified herself as Sandra, described the alleged theft of female underpants as evil brought on Asaba by ‘Yahoo boys’.

Confirming that some ladies no longer wear pants in some parts of the state, especially in Abraka, Asaba, for fear of having them stolen by ritualists, Sandra said she was told that some pants could be sold for as much as N500,000 each.

Sandra, who said she had stopped wearing pants outside, said, “I am telling you the truth; in Delta State now, especially Asaba, there is fear because the way these ‘Yahoo boys’ or ‘Yahoo Plus boys’ are looking for female pants is crazy. Some even collect ladies’ pants at gunpoint.

“I have stopped wearing pants whenever I am going out, and that goes for some of my friends too to prevent ourselves from being victims of these evil people. When they collect someone’s pants, it is the end for that person. It happened to one lady in Umuagwu quarters of Asaba. Her family has taken her to church for healing because she has been behaving abnormally. I have also stopped going out with people I don’t know their background, especially those with flashy cars.”

Another student, who insisted that the problem was really serious but spoke on condition of anonymity, said, she knew a lady who fell ill after losing her pants.

“I know one Jenifer who fell into the hands of these evil boys in Asaba. On Friday, December 14, 2018, she fell very ill. The management of a hotel in Umugwu, where she had gone to meet someone, quickly reported the case to the police and they were advised to take her to a traditional healing home.

“When contacted on the telephone, the man identified as the culprit, said the lady was still alive, but since then, his line had not been reachable,” she said.

The Punch met a female hairdresser, who claimed that the victim was her customer and that she had visited her at the place where she was being treated. She said the lady was looking very ill and that it didn’t look like she would survive. But as she was talking, another lady joined the conversation, saying the lady in question had died.

It was also learnt that in Abraka, Ughelli, Ozoro and Warri, some ladies have resulted to sprinkling their pants with oil that had allegedly been blessed by preachers.

According to Efe, a young lady in her late 20s, she no longer hangs her underwear on the washing line outside her flat or leaves the diapers used by her baby lying around.

“Some women sprinkle their pants with ‘anointed oil’. Some of us have stopped hanging our pants on washing lines outside. If you come to my compound, you won’t see any underwear hanging outside like it used to be and it is because we are afraid of ritualists.

“Since we heard the news, we have been hanging our pants in our bathrooms; whether they get dry or not is not a big issue. We sometimes iron our underwear to get them dry. We are also mindful of what our visitors could do so we take precautions. We understand that these ‘boys’ have agents who sneak into houses to steal pants and brassieres.

“Although, I haven’t seen anyone who is a victim of this problem, I have heard about some cases. Even my female neighbours told me that they had stopped wearing pants since there were reports about some guys stealing underwear at gunpoint. It’s better not to wear pants than to die prematurely,” she said.

When asked if not wearing pants could increase the incidence of r*pe, Efe said “yes,” adding that “we don’t have any other option and even men will not know that a lady is not wearing pants except they are told or they are really close to the woman.”