A 17-year-old boy (name withheld) has been paraded naked round Ajegbole community in Gabu ward of Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State for stealing tubers of yam.
The teenager was alleged to have used a Keke (tricycle) to invade a farm in the village and carted away about 20 tubers of yam to sell in the local market.
According to eye witnesses, the boy, whose father is a prominent farmer, used the open back tricycle to invade the farm during the community’s market day while villagers were at home since it is customary for the people to stay at home during market days.
“He went to the farm in broad daylight to pack the tubers of yam into a keke he borrowed and took to the market to sell but when he got to the market, people became suspicious where he got the yams from since he is not known to own a big farm to harvest such size of yams he took to the market for sale,” David Ohi, an indegene of the community told our reporter.
He said investigation revealed that he stole the yams from the farm of a prominent farmer in the community and was, subsequently, punished for the act by making him carry some of the yams on his head and paraded round the village.
“During harvest season, serious farmers do not bring all their yams home. Some yams are left in the farm until after the planting season for the farmers to sow, before bringing what is left home. So, it was from those left in the farm that the boy went to steal from one of the farms.”
The source said the boy’s fathers is a hard working farmer and he was surprised that his son could go into another person’s farm to cart away yams.
“Parading someone caught stealing naked round the community is a standard practice in our community to serve as a deterrent to others. Though his father is respected in our village, there was nothing he could do to stop the punishment of his son.”
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.