- ‘Mad people’ attack us on the streets unprovoked, we want them evacuated – Residents
The absence of functional public rehabilitation centres is frustrating the treatment and recuperation of mentally unstable Nigerians, drug users and destitute across major parts of the country, findings by The Point have revealed.
Hardly would one find a state in Nigeria that is not faced with the challenge of upsurge of mental illness as mentally challenged persons, especially young men, roam streets, major roads, markets and other places.
Oftentimes, some of these mentally unstable walk streets unclad whole others become violent to road users and deface society with shanties and dirty items.
Recently, some residents of Abakaliki in Ebonyi State decried the upsurge of attacks by mentally challenged persons on innocent passersby and called on relevant authorities to evacuate them from the streets.
According to them, women and children are among those who have fallen victims to the attacks of the mentally challenged persons.
A trader at the International Market, Abakaliki, Mrs. Charity Ezinwa who described the influx as alarming, noted that many of them do not only appear violent, but also carry around dangerous weapons along with them.
She noted that their presence does not only constitute a nuisance but also pose a threat to innocent citizens.
Lamenting in a similar vein, some residents of Lagos asked the state government to review and strengthen its mental health policies, ensuring that people are compelled to take their loved ones who have mental health challenges to psychiatric centres for treatment.
Last month, an actor who resides in the cosmopolitan city, Alesh Sanni, called the attention of the Nigeria Police Force to an alleged serial stabber along the Lekki Expressway.
He claimed a man, suspected to be mentally unstable, has been randomly stabbing people in their cars.
He said this happened on the road leading to The Civic Centre.
Alesh added that he “witnessed” it and he tagged the Lagos State police authorities while urging them to investigate.
Findings by The Point in some states revealed that the number of mentally unstable people continue to increase owing to worsening drug abuse by youths, penchant for quick wealth and unchecked mental disorders.
Sadly, there are little or no efforts by some state governments to tackle this menace.
In 2022, Prof. Taiwo Obindo, President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, disclosed that more than 60 million Nigerians are suffering from mental illnesses.
He said some factors hindering the management of mental illness in Nigeria include myths and traditional beliefs, inadequate mental health facilities, and the number of mental health professionals.
Obindo had said, “Mental healthcare is in a sorry state given that we have more than 60 million Nigerians suffering from various mental illnesses and that only about 10 percent of them could access appropriate care.
“We are left with more than 90 percent who are unable to access care and this group is called the treatment gap for mental illnesses.’’
He noted that the gap was due to various factors like the knowledge gap in which people do not have appropriate information about the causes and treatment for mental illnesses.
Obindo said the few available mental health facilities were located in the city centres.
“Knowing that 60 percent of Nigerians live in the rural areas, they do not have access to appropriate care and have to travel long distances to access facilities.”
He said that the number of mental health practitioners was low as it fell below the ratio recommended by the World Health Organisation.
He also said the few trained were often eager to leave the country, adding that, “The environment in which we practise, the security situation and the remuneration that people were given in the country tend to push them out.
“And then, of course, the pull factor from the developed countries where they tend to poach on the already trained medical practitioners in the country, particularly the psychiatrists.”
According to the expert, the cost of care and drugs for individuals undergoing treatment for various mental health conditions has continued to rise.
In Osun State for instance, rehabilitation centres established by the past government for treatment of drug users, destitute and mentally unstable victims have been abandoned.
During the administration of Rauf Aregbesola, the rehabilitation centres were created and made functional.
Investigation revealed that the centres were abandoned by former governor Adegboyega Oyetola who succeeded Aregbesola and there have not been any significant efforts by the incumbent governor Ademola Adeleke to resuscitate them.
Then, those roaming the streets were evacuated, treated and rehabilitated at the Osun Rehabilitation Centre in Ilobu.
One of the rehabilitation Centres located at Konda, Ilobu, Irepodun Local Government Area of Osun State is now a shadow of its former self. The centre was established in 2012 under the Osun Rehabilitation Programme (O’REHAB).
O’REHAB programme was targeted at rehabilitating and catering for persons with mental challenges, destitute and those who are homeless.
The O’REHAB centre in Ilobu had also served as a temporary shelter for destitute people transferred from other states for reintegration with their families.
It was learnt that drug users and destitute who were under rehabilitation at the O’REHAB centre in Ilobu were also engaged in vocational training.
The abandonment of the public rehabilitation centres is a major setback forcing the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in the state to refer patients battling with drug issues to a rehabilitation centre in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
Recently, the Aragbiji of Iragbijiland, Oba Abdulrasheed Olabomi called on the NDLEA to provide a rehabilitation centre which can accommodate drug users to reduce court issues and encourage vocational training for drug abuse victims.
Oba Olabomi made the call during a courtesy visit by NDLEA officers to his palace.
The spokesperson of the NDLEA, Osun Command, Charles Odigie, stated that one of their challenges as an agency in the state is the lack of a functioning rehabilitation centre.
Odigie maintained that the state government needs to, as a matter of urgency, come up with one or revive the existing rehabilitation centres.
He said the state government also needs to revive the Drug Control Committee which has not been in existence for years.
Meanwhile, the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi, who is Coordinating the Ministry of Sports and Special Needs, Goke Awoyemi only faulted Oyetola’s action for neglecting most of Aregbesola’s monumental programmes but kept mum on the inability of the incumbent government to revive the centre.
