State Assembly raises alarm over influx of mentally ill persons into Kogi

The Kogi State House of Assembly has raised alarm over the influx of mentally deranged persons from other States into Kogi State.

A motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Ajaokuta State Constituency Abu Onoru-Oiza Jibrin, noted that the disturbing trend requires urgent attention.

” Without doubt, there has been a disturbing surge of individuals perceived as deranged and rejected persons wandering the streets in Ohene, Lokoja and a few other places.
Recent reports indicate that these individuals were brought in from Edo State.

“We are aware that these individuals are being increasingly exploited by criminal elements. It has become evident that some nefarious actors, including kidnappers, have adopted the tactic of disguising themselves in garments and behaviours suggestive of mental instability.

“This deliberate impersonation is intended to deceive the public and law enforcement agents but allows the criminals to operate undetected. We are concerned that the disguised culprits-in-waiting leverage their appearances to blend into communities thereby complicating efforts to identify them and neutralize their harmful activities.

” Such acts of disguise not only exploit societal empathy and misconceptions surrounding mental health but also pose significant and escalating threats to public safety and security.

“Am concerned that the unchecked presence of these individuals, regardless of whether they are mentally challenged or not, poses significant risks to public safety. Their unregulated presence could create a situation conducive to insecurity, as it allows such offenders to exploit the lack of scrutiny for their activities to engage in kidnapping and other illicit acts.

“Moreover, it may contribute to public disorder with increased loitering by malingering criminals and undermine public confidence in the government’s ability to uphold law and order effectively.

While acknowledging the critical role of government in safeguarding the welfare and rights of citizens, particularly those who are vulnerable, including individuals with mental health challenges and other forms of disabilities, the lawmakers argued that the State Government has a dual obligation, in such circumstances, to provide adequate care, support and rehabilitation for these individuals.

TThe lawmakers said the government must simultaneously uphold its responsibility to ensure a secure, orderly and safe environment for the general public to foster public trust in government and ensure social stability within the state.

Explaining further, Jibrin said “We are cognizant of the need for collaborative efforts among all relevant stakeholders to tackle effectively the pressing issue of deranged and abandoned individuals on our streets and the need to stop criminal impersonation of the mentally health challenged individuals to perpetrate crime.

“I seek through the intervention of this honourable House the need to call on the State Government, which holds overarching responsibility for policy formulation and implementation, to task the State Ministry of Health with the responsibility of providing medical, psychological and rehabilitative care for genuinely affected individuals, and the State Ministry of Environment, responsible for ensuring that public spaces remain clean, safe and orderly while the law enforcement agents profile the deranged individuals to identify criminals”.

He urged the State Government to take immediate action to sanitize the streets by identifying and documenting individuals with mental health challenges and vagrants to appropriate rehabilitation centres for care and reintegration.

The lawmaker also charged the present administration to ensure that all persons, whether rehabilitated or not, who are identified as non-indigenous to the State, are respectfully returned to their respective States of origin through coordinated inter-state engagements.

“That the State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with relevant agencies and stakeholders, be called upon to provide medical and psychological care to affected individuals, while the Ministry of Environment, in partnership with security agencies, enforce measures to ensure public spaces remain free of loitering and effectively differentiate between those with mental health challenges and those engaging in criminal exploitation.

“The State Government should partner with nongovernmental organizations, NGOs and other stakeholders to provide continuous support for rehabilitated individuals and reintegrate them into society whenever possible” he added.

Seconding the motion, member representing Bassa State Constituency Hon Sunday Daku described the motion as timely stressing that, the Government must do appropriate profiling of those coming into the State.

Hon. Bode Ogunmola of Ogori Magongo State Constituency is of the view that this development remains a dangerous trend that must be nip in the bud.

His words, “Moving mad people from other States to Kogi State is a big threat to our security. We saw recently on social media that some people who pretended to be mad were caught with dangerous weapons and ammunition. This house should avoid speaking grammar and act fast”.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Umar Aliyu Yusuf asked the mover of the motion if he has evidence of the influx of people that are mentally derailed into Kogi State and he responded immediately that, the streets of Lokoja and it environs has been flooded by criminals claiming to be mentally deranged.