60 million Nigerians are reportedly suffering from mental illnesses. This statistic was shared by the President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN), Taiwo Obindo.
According to him, “Mental healthcare is in a sorry state given that we have more than 60 million Nigerians suffering from various mental illnesses and the fact that only about 10 percent of them are able to access appropriate care.”
Oftentimes, people suffering from a mental illness or disorder experience feelings of shame, stigma, and discrimination. Hence, with the abysmal lack of mental health services in the country, what happens to depressed, mental health patients who are left untreated?
In some cases, they resort to suicide to end it all.
In 2022, quite a number of Nigerians took their own lives for various reasons and for some, no reason at all.
Each case served as a reminder that depression is real and we all need to n to be kind to one another because depression is real and we all need to learn to be kind to one another because we don’t know what the other person is going through.
Adetutu Adedokun
On Thursday afternoon, November 10, a young lady jumped into the Lagos Lagoon after alighting from a cab.
On that fateful day, Adedokun alighted from a Uber taxi car on the bridge and plunged into the lagoon.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency,
Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement on Thursday said the driver of the taxi claimed she was having a heated conversation with her fiancé before alighting from the car and jumping into the lagoon.
Oke-Osanyintolu, in a fresh confirmation on Friday, claimed that the search and rescue team was still on the water trying to locate the body.
They reportedly continued the search the next day, Friday, but her body is yet to be found.
Folake Abiola
A 45-year-old lady identified as Folake Abiola reportedly committed suicide at her residence at Osapa London, in the Lekki area of Lagos State.
Before her death, she was an accountant at a telecommunications company in Lagos state and she killed herself by drinking an insecticide at her house last Friday, May 27th.
One of the reasons circulating on social media about her death was that she killed herself because she was unmarried and childless at her age.
Her colleague who spoke on condition of anonymity said that rumor was untrue.
She said she knew for a fact that Abiola had been in romantic relationships, adding that she ended her life due to depression.
“Abiola had been suffering from depression for years.”
She said that the news of her death was shocking but Abiola did not commit suicide due to loneliness or a lack of a husband.
“She had been suffering from depression for years and her death has nothing to do with loneliness or lack of a husband or s*x. Within the last seven years, I know she was in a relationship twice.
She ended those relationships on her own because of depression. She said she did not want to bring someone into her life when she could not tak of herself. She was going through avtreme depression, but people that did not know what she was going through have been posting rubbish online.
She was a senior accountant at a telecoms firm and we are colleagues. She took her life herself and was buried that same Friday as she was the only Christian in her family.” the colleague said.
Her colleague went on to describe Abiola as an angel, a conscientious accountant, and a lover of Christ, who was liberal in giving, adding that she had been saying she wanted to end it all before she took her life.
She said the deceased only recently celebrated her 45th birthday and will always keeping to herself.
Confirming the incident to newsmen, the spokesperson of the state police command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the police visited Abiola’s house and met her lifeless body on the floor.
“The moment the police in that area were alerted, they arrived at the scene and met the woman lifeless on the floor. A bottle of insecticide was also found on her, apparently, she had ingested the insecticide.
Emmanuel Omole
A photographer identified as Emmanuel Omole has reportedly committed suicide.
According to reports, he took his life at his residence in Abuja.
He left a two-page suicide note where he spoke about his struggles.
He revealed that he had fought the urge for a very long time and gave it all the fight he had. He said he was surrounded by people who honestly thought he was okay but he hadn’t been okay for a while.
He said he wished he opened up to the people around him and went on to advise people to vocalize their feelings.
To his mum, he said she has given everything to make sure that he is happy and he hopes she knows that he is at rest now.
He added that he knows he let a lot Now people down by committing suicide but he couldn’t fight the urge any longer.
Speaking on his connection to God, he said he lost that and that the devil seems to have won.
He went on to advise people to check on their “strong” friends.
He concluded: “I’m strong but not enough. I’m not enough. I haven’t felt enough for a while… But say all this to say, I’m done fighting. My battle is over. And I pray everyone finds peace in that.
“I found peace.
“I have tried for a long time but it’s over now.”
Drops of tears smudged the ink in some parts of the note and this made some of his messages impossible to read.