When the EIC was admitted in Yaba Left in 2018, he made friends with Fred Musa (not real names) who shared his story with him.
I am from Kaduna but was born and bred in Jos where I spent the first thirty years of my life.
I still have fond memories of Jos as it was a multicultural setting which explains why I speak Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa fluently.
I am the only boy and have four sisters; I am the last born and was used to being pampered by my older siblings.
My family was forced to leave Jos in 2001 when Joshua Dariye was the Governor in the wake of the crisis between the Fulani settlers and indigenes that engulfed the once peaceful state.
My mother died in 2003 which left me devastated given our closeness and my deep love for her as the last child.
We settled in Ilorin where I worked in a factory as a supervisor. The job took its toll on me as it was hard work for a meagre salary.
I found my way to Lagos where I worked remotely with a content creation company in the United States and also helped some local website owners manage their websites.
Life was good and shortly afterwards I fell in love with an only child. My friends thought we were headed for the altar as we were inseparable.
Cracks in my life started showing when I lost my remote job which was paying me in hard currency. At first my girlfriend was supportive but as time went on, she began to give me the cold shoulder. We eventually broke up which left me extremely depressed.
To make matters worse I lost most of my local gigs; feeding regularly became a huge challenge and my life was very bitter.
I had three close friends whom I confided in from time to time.
One fateful day, I found myself in Yaba Left sitting in front of a doctor with the three of them there. I cannot exactly recall how I found myself there. They told me I was suicidal and that they had no choice but to bring me there.
The doctor asked me a few questions and I was immediately admitted without any prior tests being done on me.
I only took the medications for three days and afterwards spat it out as soon as I left the presence of the nurse who administered it.
I spent two weeks there and my friends ensured that I was discharged. I never went back as an outpatient and till date I have never relapsed.
Right now, I am based in Port Harcourt where I work remotely as a content creator for an Indian company. I have a daughter and I am currently engaged to a wonderful lady whom I will marry God willing next year. I have put the ugly incident of my brief stay in Yaba Left behind me and moved on.
Life is good!
About The Author
It’s quite an area to look into. As a psychiatrist, suicidal is not taking lightly at all. However, it’s crucial to investigate what’s behind the suicide that’s when you can get a diagnosis ( if there is one at all). Is it hearing strange voices , a feeling of hopelessness, impulsive intent, or unintended but poorly executed act?