In behavioural patterns of humans, there have been cases of strange fetishes displayed by our race. Being fetish for something is to have a kind of obsession for that thing. For instance, some people are shoe fetishes and can spend lavishly for a good pair of foot wear. But some fetishes are bordered on some psychological and emotional imbalance. In this case, a shoe fetish will probably steal shoes to be hidden or admired during private moment. In such cases, some men steal women’s shoes, some women steal men’s underpants or vice versa and may just admire or simply keep them as objects to be drooled over.
While that goes for a fetish, there is a class of others much prevalent in our society and currently being a threat to the womanhood. The underwear hustlers. An underwear hustler is one who steals a woman or man’s intimate apparel for ritualistic or diabolical purposes. Sounds familiar?
Let me share a story. And it is a true life experience.
In the days of yore, a young woman was assigned to work in a local government in one of the states of the South West. She was a beautiful, efficient and hardworking woman from a decent background. Being a stranger in that town, she had to get an accommodation, which she did from a landlord who was an old and kind man. The house had a big compound which included other tenants including the landlord’s family. And a big family it was for he had many wives. Soon, one of the landlord’s sons wanted to court her but she politely declined. However, after few months she grew enamoured of him and accepted his proposal. Then they grew more intimate and began to have sex regularly and she soon got pregnant. So, the family got introduced to each other and they were later married. But as soon as they got married, the man began to issue his rules. The woman must stop working. There was no furthering of her education. Resistance from her was met with fights and later beatings from her husband. Then the children began to come and in some years they became six. The woman by now had given to his wishes. The man furthered in school and became an inspector of education. And the woman joined other women in weaving raffia mats and baskets and taking them to the market for sale because the man eventually burned her certificate. She made few attempts to escape but would of her own will turn back in the middle of her journey to return to the man. This continued back and forth until one day she entered her husband’s room with a spare key. He never allowed her in and she slept in another room with her children. Suspicious, she had a spare key made and entered his room, not really knowing what she was looking for. And there under the bamboo bed was a small black, earthenware pot. She pulled it out carefully, trembling with fear. It was covered. She opened it and saw a piece of cloth that looked familiar and she pulled it out. And it turned out to be her panties. Sounds familiar? But that was the beginning of her journey to deliverance.
Nowadays, the situation becomes more desperate in a society that has become even more chronically diabolically in a quest for illicit and speedy wealth. There have been stories of people forcing women to give up their underwear at gun point for ritual purposes. These underwear fest is counterproductive in our society as many relationships already strained, have become more volatile so much that if a woman happens to innocently misplace her underwear, her partner is first suspect. Women do not spread out their undergarments for fresh air or sunlight, which should normally be done to prevent bacteria for fear of them being stolen. And with the current development, many have adopted the commando style not as fashion, as I found out, but for safety. To go commando is to completely abandon wearing of undergarments. The female specie is vulnerable, from birth, puberty, period, pregnancy, delivery and now that clothing that protects her essence is under a siege. Why? Because a woman carries life in all its form. Every part of a woman breathes life. And humanity recognises this but instead of seeking to protect its own, the woman has become hunted by its very own kind.
Therefore, I propose that stealing of undergarments should be a serious crime under our laws. Not just the offence of stealing but what that act portends under our African jurisprudence, theories, traditions and realities.
It is a crime against humanity.
and then