2026年7月3日（県知事による公式声明の日付）、トーゴ・ソコデで「男性器消失」の噂が拡散、県知事が公式に否定July 3, 2026 (date of the prefect's official statement) — Rumors of "genital disappearance" spread in Sokodé, Togo; local authorities deny the claims

In the central Togolese city of Sokodé, rumors spread on social media claiming that men's genitals had vanished after a handshake with a stranger. Videos circulating online described the alleged perpetrators as using occult powers, and the claims stoked anxiety among residents.

In an official statement dated July 3, 2026, Tchaoudjo prefect Yendoukon Douti Tchimbiandja said that people who came forward as victims were examined by a urologist at Sokodé Regional Hospital, and that in-depth clinical exams found no malformation, anomaly, or anatomical change of any kind.

The prefect described the episode as a recurring "psychosocial phenomenon" previously observed elsewhere in West Africa, and noted that the unfounded rumor had already led to crowds confronting people publicly accused of being the culprits. He warned that spreading false information carries legal consequences and urged residents to rely on official sources rather than social media.

Security forces intervened on the ground to keep the mob incidents from escalating further. Local reporting did not disclose any arrest figures.