By Kemi Olatunde
With a growing sense of concern, citizens have called for an urgent course of action in ridding the streets of mentally challenged persons, as they continue to pose a threat to passersby in their vicinity due to the violent nature of some of these people.
A day of horror in Arogbo
Residents of Arogbo in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State will not forget in a hurry, the day a mentally unstable man invaded a secondary school and strangled a student to death.
The victim, 14-year old Beke Meretighan, a JSS 3 student of Ijaw National High School, was writing his Junior West African Examination when the incident occurred. Eyewitnesses recounted how the assailant ran into the school premises, chasing students who screamed “Were! Mad man!” as they fled in panic.
Before help could arrive, the man grabbed the boy, locked his head under his armpit, and strangled him. By the time teachers and community members intervened, it was too late — another young life had been cut short by a victim of untreated mental illness.
This tragic episode is not isolated. About five years ago, an Akure High Court handled a case in which a mentally deranged man raped and murdered a woman along a farm path in Akunnu-Akoko. Though he confessed to the crime, he claimed he could not recall why he acted violently. The court, confirming his mental instability, committed him to a psychiatric institution rather than prison.
The growing menace on the streets
Across Nigeria, mentally ill persons have become an everyday sight— wandering around the streets, sleeping under bridges and scavenging through refuse heaps. They are victims of neglect, ignorance and a decrepit health system.
Despite the potential danger they pose to themselves and others, most are abandoned by family members who neither seek nor can afford medical treatment for them. This neglect has turned public spaces into open asylums, and the consequences are increasingly tragic.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, over 70 percent of people with mental illness worldwide receive no treatment. The reasons include lack of knowledge about symptoms, ignorance of treatment options, prejudice and fear of discrimination.
In Nigeria, the statistics are even more alarming. Studies show that nearly 78 percent of Nigerians with mental illness avoid hospitals, preferring to seek help in religious or traditional healing centres, instead of professional psychiatric facilities.
Spiritual, cultural beliefs deepen crisis
Speaking with Weekend Hope, Reverend Akindele Smart Omoge of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Ondo State, emphasised the need for greater public enlightenment on mental health.
“People should know that apart from the spiritual aspect, there is a need to visit the hospital for necessary treatment; those concerned should embrace medical care for their own benefit and that of their families,” he said.
Similarly, Comrade Kehinde Olomiye, former chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), called for aggressive sensitisation campaigns to correct the widespread belief that all mental challenges are spiritual attacks.
“Most people believe mental illness is a spiritual problem and turn to churches, especially white garment churches, for solution. Health educators from psychiatric hospitals must engage in continuous public enlightenment to change these perceptions,” Olomiye stressed,” he said.
Faith and healing: The religious argument
Some religious leaders, however, hold firm to the belief that healing can only come through divine intervention. The Assembly Pastor of Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Oluwayan, Akure, Pastor Moses Amole, said there is nothing wrong in seeking healing within religious organisations.
“The name of Jesus supersedes all other powers. We have seen people healed of mental illness through prayer, water and anointing oil used in faith. God is the ultimate healer, and doctors themselves derive their wisdom from Him,” he said.
He recalled that his church once maintained a healing home for mentally challenged persons during the lifetime of its founder. However, the facility ceased operations after the founder’s death, a few years ago.
A herbalist who spoke to Weekend Hope under anonymity also claimed that traditional medicine remains the most effective remedy for mental challenges.
“There are herbs and rituals that cleanse the patient and ward off evil spirits. Traditional medicine goes deeper than injections, which only suppress the illness temporarily,” the herbalist said.
Medical experts counter the myths
Mental health experts have consistently debunked such claims, insisting that mental illnesses are medical conditions that respond well to scientifically proven treatments.
Dr. Akinwumi Akinnuoye of the Ondo State Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Akure, explained that cultural beliefs and ignorance continue to fuel the mental health crisis in Nigeria.
“In Africa, people often attribute strange behaviours to spiritual causes. Over 80 percent of our patients have visited spiritual centres before coming to the hospital. Unfortunately, many arrive with severe complications due to delayed treatment,” Akinnuoye added.
According to him, poverty and ignorance are the main reasons patients avoid hospitals. Ironically, many end up spending far more in unregulated spiritual homes than they would for medical treatment.
“Some patients only need N1,000 to N2,000 worth of drugs to stabilise.” Yet, spiritual healers charge exorbitant fees and sometimes misuse hospital-prescribed drugs, dissolving them in so-called ‘holy water,’ leading to overdoses and irreversible damage.”
He warned that untreated or poorly treated mental illnesses can lead to suicide, violent behaviour and social breakdown.
“Each patient requires a specific dosage and treatment plan. Spiritual healers lack this knowledge, which is why relapses are common,” he added.
The way forward: Breaking the stigma
Mental health, Dr. Akinnuoye stressed, must not be treated as a taboo subject. Conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are medical in nature and require professional attention.
Mental health affects how people think, feel and act—influencing relationships, productivity and the ability to handle stress. Yet, in many communities, mental illness is still seen as a curse or moral weakness.
While not all patients require hospitalisation, Dr. Akinnuoye explained that some need close monitoring, medication adjustment or professional observation during acute episodes.
He called on families to stop abandoning their loved ones and instead cooperate with doctors to ensure full recovery.
“Mental illness is not a death sentence. “With proper treatment, many patients return to normal life. What they need is understanding, compassion and access to care — not isolation or stigma,” Akinnuoye added.
Conclusion: A call for compassion and action
The rising number of mentally unstable persons roaming Nigeria’s streets is a silent emergency demanding urgent attention. The combination of drug abuse, ignorance, poverty and spiritual misconceptions continues to fuel the crisis.
Government, religious institutions and health professionals must therefore work together to strengthen mental health education, provide affordable psychiatric care and protect vulnerable individuals from neglect and abuse.
Mental health is health—and until Nigeria treats it as such, tragedies like that of young Beke Meretighan will continue to haunt our conscience and our communities.