By Matthew Denis/Ajikobi Ahmed/Kayode Adeoti
Worried over the growing trend of alleged pants theft by suspected ritualists, female folks resident in Kwara State have devised strategies to safeguard themselves from falling victim,National Pilot can report.
For some time, there have been reports that some ritualists, also known as ‘ Yahoo boys ’, have been stealing female underwear, occasionally at gunpoint. Although the claims have not been substantiated, the reports have instill fear and panic in the hearts of women folks.
Some women who spoke to our reporters said they protect themselves by going pantless.
An Ilorin-based businesswoman, Joy Ololade confirmed that some female folks now go out without pants for the fear of falling prey of ritualists.
On her part, Ololade said she has stopped drying her pants outside and no longer entertain visitors to prevent her underwear from being stolen.
“I dry my pants inside my room and make sure that it is not close to the door or window. Again, I don’t welcome friends in my room anymore. I know some people who don’t wear their pants anymore, but nothing can stop me from putting on my pants.”
Similarly, an Office Secretary, Confidence Oyagbola, vowed not to wear pants again, urging the female folks to be vigilant and prayerful so as not to fall victim.”
Before now, I don’t like wearing pants because it gives me rashes and with the latest crime trend, I won’t wear it again. “Of course, one cannot tell when the evil doers demanding for woman pants for rituals will come one’s way, we just have to be on the alert and be prayerful so that the menace will not catch up with us. As for pant, I hardly wear it, for bra, I wear it always but if that will be targeted too, I can start going out without bra,” she further said.
A civil servant, who simply identified herself as Sherifat, stated that to reduce the risk of falling victim, she only keeps a pant.
According to her, she washes her pant while bathing in the morning and wait for it to dry before putting it on.
“I believe the best way to protect myself is to keep one pant. If I keep many pants I may not know when one of them is stolen. I know of women who don’t wear pants anymore because of the news making rounds about Yahoo boys stealing pants and selling for as high as N350,000 to ritualists,” she added.
A Legal Practitioner in the state, Vic Badmus corroborated the fact that some women have stopped wearing pants as preventive measure against the evil.
“I can’t deceive you, there is fire on the mountain, many of us now go pantless even without tight. The news of rutualists using ladies’ pants for rituals is scary. “Though it is not pronounced in Kwara State. As for me, I can’t imagine myself stepping out of my door without pant, I can’t go out without it,”she stressed
On her part, a student of Kwara State University(KWASU), Malete, Ayomikun Sandra said she has stopped exposing her under wear as measure to keep them safe.
“I don’t dry my undies outside. I wash and dry it in my room. I don’t like exposing my undies,” she stated.
Similarly a middle-aged businesswoman, Hauwa Sambo said the era of spreading pants to dry outside is over.
“Even before the pant for ritual incidents, I don’t leave my pants outside to dry. What I do is while doing my laundry, I wash my pants first so that by the time I am through, my undies would have dried and I will pack them in. Now I dry them in my room.
A corps member, Fatima Amode also expressed danger in the act of spreading undies outside in the face of the alleged new trend of money rituals.
In the same vein, a student of University of Ilorin, Faridah Gbadamasi said. “I wash my undies and dry it in my my room. I don’t like piling it up like others do. I wash immediately and dry it in my room.”
A student of University of Ilorin, Halimat Alao said she always safeguard her undies while doing her laundry.
Alao disclosed that despite the fact that her house is fenced, she sits at the backyard until her under wear dries.
