The BBC Global Disinformation Unit has found that more than 80 people were killed between October 2025 and July this year following false accusations about what is termed "genital theft", after gathering data from police forces across six African countries. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
The killings are linked to rumors that a simple tap on the shoulder can cause a man's genitals to shrink or disappear. They are being fueled by widespread misinformation on social media.
Tanzanian mechanic Boniface Mgala told the BBC about his ordeal in April when he was badly beaten by those convinced he was a genital thief. "They were shouting that we had stolen someone's genitals and we didn't have any way to escape because there was a huge crowd," he said.
Such claims are rooted in longstanding fears and superstitions and are not new on the continent, particularly in communities where belief in witchcraft remains widespread. Social media has amplified these fears.
The recent wave of rumors appears to have started last year in the Democratic Republic of Congo, then spread to Burundi, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola, Malawi, and Kenya.
In Zambia, the hearsay about disappearing genitals first gained traction in March when a woman was lynched, spreading panic across the border in Tanzania.
Mgala was dragged out of a restaurant in Tunduma on 1 April by a mob that accused him and his friend of stealing genitals. He lost consciousness and woke up in hospital two days later to learn his friend had been killed. He now walks with a limp and suffers from constant headaches, but neighbors and friends have helped cover the cost of some medicine.
On the same day, commercial photographer Michael Silavwe witnessed another similar assault in Tunduma, where a man was beaten and later set on fire. A video of the attack verified by the BBC has been viewed more than 100,000 times on TikTok and Facebook.
Tailor Asha Steven Mwakilasa from Tunduma says she realized the rumors were not true, but still feels anxious when her husband or sons are out. She is grateful for police patrols.
Momba district commissioner Elias Daniel Mwandobo told the BBC that local investigations suggested deliberate criminal intent behind some incidents: "Individuals conspired to commit a crime and incite public panic for their own benefits."
Another video from Dar es Salaam shows a crowd marching a man down a market street, demanding he return allegedly stolen genitals. The BBC Disinformation Unit verified similar videos in Mozambique and Kenya.
Dozens of these recordings remain online on TikTok and Facebook. A Meta spokesperson said they are reviewing content and will take action on those violating policies. TikTok has yet to respond to a BBC request for comment.