A 17-year-old boy, simply identified as Ipo Agba, has been paraded naked around Ajegbole community in Gabu Ward of Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State for allegedly stealing yams.
The teenager was accused of using a tricycle (keke) to invade a farm in the community and cart away about 20 tubers of yam, which he allegedly attempted to sell at a local market.
Eyewitnesses said the boy, whose father is a prominent farmer in the area, took advantage of the community’s market day to carry out the act. It is customary for villagers to remain at home on market days.
According to a community indigene, David Ohi, the boy went to the farm in broad daylight, loaded the yams into a borrowed tricycle and transported them to the market.
“He went to the farm in broad daylight to pack the yams into a keke he borrowed and took them to the market to sell. However, people became suspicious because he is not known to own a large farm capable of producing such yams,” Ohi said.
He explained that investigations later revealed the yams were stolen from the farm of a prominent farmer in the community, after which the teenager was apprehended and punished.
“As part of the punishment, he was made to carry some of the yams on his head and paraded around the village,” Ohi added.
He further explained that during harvest season, some farmers leave yams in their farms until after the planting season, creating an opportunity that the boy allegedly exploited.
Sources said the boy’s father, who is also known to be a hardworking farmer, was shocked by the incident but could not stop the punishment.
“Parading someone caught stealing naked around the community is a standard practice here and is meant to serve as a deterrent to others,” a source said.
An elder in the community, Oko Agama said there was no need getting the police involved since it was within the confines of the elders to carry out the needed punishment.
“It is not every case that we involve the police. Some matters are handled within the prescribed rules of the community and that was what we did in this instance”
