A Nigerian woman has made an emotional public appeal for help, revealing that her younger brother has been battling substance abuse and severe mental health challenges for several years.
In a heartfelt statement shared on social media, the woman said her brother’s ordeal began after he gained admission into the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in 2019. According to her, he developed a serious mental health condition a few months into his studies in 2020, which she believes was linked to drug addiction.
She explained that she had kept the family’s struggle away from the public eye for years, hoping to find a solution privately, but said his condition has continued to deteriorate despite repeated efforts to secure treatment.
The woman disclosed that she has taken her brother to multiple psychiatric facilities, including the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Abeokuta, the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, private psychiatric hospitals in Gbagada and Concept One, as well as the psychiatric unit of the Military Hospital in Yaba. She added that he also received treatment in Benin before returning to Lagos.
According to her, after spending about three months at the military hospital, he was discharged because the facility could not keep him indefinitely. The family later sought spiritual intervention at Zion Ministry before bringing him back home.
She said his condition has since become more challenging, alleging that he now exhibits violent and destructive behaviour, roams the streets naked at times, damages property and causes disturbances in the community.
Describing herself as her brother’s primary caregiver throughout the years, the woman said she has become physically and emotionally exhausted by the responsibility. She added that members of the public often contact her whenever they encounter him because they know he is her brother.
Expressing concern for her own wellbeing and that of her child, she said she could no longer cope alone and appealed for urgent assistance, hoping her brother would receive the care and support he needs.
