In African countries, "genital theft" rumors led to dozens of murders
From October 2025 to July 2026, rumors of "genital theft" spread across eight African countries, sparking a wave of violence. Over 80 people fell victim to lynchings. A BBC investigation shows that superstitions, which have existed on the continent for decades, gained deadly power thanks to social media algorithms.
Belief in witchcraft and the ability of one person to magically harm another's body still persists in some African communities. One of the most bizarre and dangerous manifestations of such beliefs are stories about so-called "genital thieves."
It usually starts with a man claiming that, after accidental contact with a stranger, his penis or testicles supposedly shrunk or disappeared. Suspicion falls on the person who last touched him. A crowd gathers, demanding the "return" of the stolen organs. In many cases, suspects are beaten to death or burned even before the police arrive.
Such stories are not new in Africa. For example, similar rumors were widespread in the Democratic Republic of Congo back in 2008. The current wave is believed to have also started in this country in 2025, and then spread to Burundi, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola, Malawi, and Kenya. The BBC, having compiled data from the police of six African countries, counted more than 80 killed from October 2025 to July 2026.
Magic of social networks
As the BBC notes, social media has given old superstitions a new scale. Dozens of videos are circulating on TikTok and Facebook: alleged personal testimonies of victims, warnings about incidents in specific cities and districts, comments, and videos of lynchings.
Some posts gain tens and hundreds of thousands of views. The BBC Global Disinformation Unit, for example, verified a video from the Tanzanian city of Tunduma, in which a crowd beats a man and demands the return of his allegedly stolen genitals. The man was later set on fire. This recording was viewed over 100,000 times on TikTok and Facebook.
The BBC verified similar videos in Mozambique and Kenya. Many of the analyzed videos, including those with scenes of lynchings, remained on social media at the time of the investigation.
Anthropologist Julien Bonhomme, author of the book "The Sex Thieves: The Anthropology of a Rumor," considers videos to be one of the main differences between the current wave and similar past incidents.
According to him, people now don't just hear that someone's genitals have allegedly disappeared. They see agitated men claiming it happened to them, or watch how a crowd reacts to such accusations. This immediacy of video can make unverified claims more convincing.
Smartphones and social media also allow rumors to spread faster, reach a larger audience, and make them harder to control once they start circulating.
At the same time, as the BBC writes, it is often unclear whether the video creators themselves, who call on people to be vigilant, believe what they are saying, or primarily seek to attract attention and get more views.
Alongside such publications, some users offer "amulets" that allegedly protect against genital theft, and comedians create parody sketches on the topic.
Authorities' reaction
Mozambique was the most affected, where in May, police reported 55 killed in six weeks. Among the victims were a police officer, medical workers, and civil servants.
In April, in Cabo Delgado province, bordering Tanzania, two medical workers were attacked — at home and at work. Medical facilities in the areas where the attacks occurred had to be closed for several weeks, and authorities launched an information campaign to counter the rumors.
Mozambican President Daniel Chapo publicly condemned the spread of rumors and the violence they caused. He stated that these claims were unfounded, and authorities found no medical evidence that anyone had actually lost a body part.
As part of the information campaign, the government also stated that some of these fears might be related to Koro syndrome — a mental disorder in which a person fears their genitals are retracting into the body or disappearing.
The latest cases of deadly violence were recorded in Kenya, where crowds killed five people in the coastal counties of Kwale and Mombasa. After the first such incidents in July, the Mombasa County Commissioner accused some content creators of spreading rumors for views and attention.
According to him, the police managed to stop the violence and made several arrests. Among those detained were a father and son who attacked a woman, accusing her of making men's genitals disappear. Both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to one year in prison.
In Tanzania, a local investigation showed that at least some cases might have been driven by deliberate criminal intent. Local authorities stated that certain individuals conspired to commit crimes and incite public panic for their own gain.
Meanwhile, many videos spreading stories about "genital theft," including recordings of lynchings, remained accessible on social media at the time of the BBC investigation.
A Meta representative told the BBC that the company is reviewing the materials provided to it and will take action against those that violate platform rules. TikTok did not respond to the BBC's request.
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