Friends inside viral video tok how dem rally round dia classmate of ova 20 years wey dey struggle wit mental health

“Wen I see di foto of my friend, in tattered, dirty clothes like mad pesin for im village, I shed tears. I come decide say I go do evritin I fit do to help my friend.”

Dis na wetin Architect Suleiman Ibrahim Khalid tok about im friend and former course mate, Minabelem Hillary.

Suleiman and Minabelem na di two men wey shake and hug demsef for one viral video wey show one man (Suleiman Ibrahim) dey hug anoda man wey dey struggle with mental health issue (Minabelem Hillary) for Bakana, one riverine community for Degema local goment area of Rivers State, Southern Nigeria.

Di viral video touch many pipo as dem describe am as a show of true friendship and love as di pipo no mind di condition of dia friend, still go embrace am well.

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Suleiman tell BBC Pidgin say dat na di first time im dey see Minabelem after dem finish dia Masters degree programme in Architecture for University of Jos, Plateau State in 1999.

‘Di mata begin around di eve of im Masters degree thesis defence’

Suleiman Ibrahim Khalid say im friendship with Minabelem Hilary start wen dem be undergraduate students of Architecture for University of Jos for 1991.

E describe Minabelem as one of di brilliant students for dia class wey always dey willing to help odas so im bin dey very friendly and jovial with all dia coursemates. So e take all of dem by surprise wen im begin behave somehow close to di period dem wan round up dia Masters degree programme.

“You know we no fit say na dis day e start but wen we bin dey prepare for our thesis defence – you need about three to four months preparation wey involve volumes of drawings. So wen we dey prepare di drawings from conceptualization and analyses, as usual, im bin dey do fine and dey di top because im get 2:1 (ie second class upper) during our first degree.

We come later notice say im don dey abandon im work. Like wen we dey draw, im go dey move around, dey visit pipo from one room to anoda dey gist.

Somebody come observe to me say your friend no dey do im work o and una just dey look am. But wen we ask am, Hillary how far with your work, im go say forget I go soon finish am, no worry.

But two weeks to di presentation time, we come notice say im never finish im work, so one of our classmate, (late) Sampson Awulu come say make we help am finish di work because dis tin no dey normal.” E tok.

On di day of di presentation, Suleiman say all of dem follow am go di class and Minabelem paste di drawings as dem suppose be, up to 54 pages. Wen dem finish, di Professor then (Prof. Solanke from Federal University of Technology Minna) come ask am to present im drawings.

“Naim im begin question di competence of di Professor to examine am. Na dia evribodi see say something dey wrong. Di Professor just say ‘next pesin!’ na so e end.”

Suleiman say wen dem go back to di hostel, all of dem know say something dey wrong and e make dem feel bad. So dem decide to send am back to im family for Lagos since di school sef don close.

Suleiman say even though e loss touch with am because GSM no bin dey dat time, e later learn say im family bin carry am go hospital for Yaba for treatment and e respond well because e no bin dey serious.

‘I no fit complete my master’s because of Schizophrenia’
The British Broadcasting Corporation

‘Di death of im parents affect am well well’

Suleiman Ibrahim Khalid say Minabelem Hilary na di last born of di four sons of im parents and by 4th April, e go be 50 years old.

E say from dia findings, na wen im papa die for 2001 naim im family pipo bring am come home to Bakana for di burial and leave am dia.

Dem find out say im mama and papa die very close to each oda so nobody dey to closely monitor and give am im medications and di care wey im need as dem bin dey do before, so im condition come worse, even though im no dey violent.

E add say since dia intervention for Hillary mata, dem don reach out to two of im elder brothers and one of dem don also go vist am for hospital.

‘Di reconnection’

Mrs. Sandra Braide na anoda good friend of Minabelem wey know am for University of Jos.

She say na Suleiman introduce her to Minabelem as two of dem from Rivers State and dem come happy di more wen dem discover say dem from di same village, Bakana.

Although she bin dey department of Geology and Minning dem dey like family for Jos, but dem lose touch after Minabelem dem finish dia undergraduate programme for 1996 as dem bin dey ahead of her for class.

Sandra Braide say wen she see Minabelem again for 2012 for Bakana dey struggle wit mental health issue, e shock her.

“I call im name. E recognise me and answer me well. I carry am go my house give am food, e eat, give am money. From dat time, anytime I come Bakana I must give am something. Evribodi know say “50 cents”, as dem dey call am, na my friend. After dat, I call im friend, Suleiman tell am say see di condition I see your friend o for our village. E ask make I send am picture for WhatsApp. Wen im see di picture e start to cry. Since dat time, e dey like burden for Suleiman and e say one day e go organise imsef come see am for Bakana.”

Sandra Braide say na for January 2022, Minabelem former university classmates say dem go organise demsef take flight from Abuja come spend valentine with am for Bakana and na so e happen.

On di day of di meeting wey di video go viral, Braide tori wetin hapun.

“Wen we see Minabelem for Bakana, I tell am say your friends don come o! You know who be dis? Im say yes na Suleiman. E recognise am immediately and dem two hug each oda. I ask am you know who dis pesin be, im say you go gatz remove your face cap as I no dey see your face well. As im comot di facecap and eyeglass na so Minabelem call im name, Arthur Ogbebulu, and dem hug each oda.” She tok.

Afta dat, dem carry am go Port Harcourt, for Psychiatric hospital for Rumuigbo go see doctor.

According to Braide, di doctor after she examine am say di kain illness e get na one wey im go need to dey on medication for life as e dey like pesin wey get hypertension, so na to manage am with di right medication and everytin go fine.

Di friends to continue with im treatment, pay for Hillary to stay for a private facility wia dem go monitor and make sure say im take im medications as dem bin no want am to return to Bakana.

LUPUS: ‘Di disease wit a thousand faces’
The British Broadcasting Corporation

‘I get many designs I wan do’ – Minabelem Hillary

For Minabelem Hillary, im focus now na to dey beta.

E tell BBC Pidgin say im still get many designs for im mind wey e wan do and e get great plans on how to develop im home town Bakana but for now, im main focus na to get better.

“I get designs wey dey my mind, I wan build bridges for Bakana. I wan build stadium dia wia young pipo go play different sports because sports na good way for young pipo to show dia talents. Many designs dey mind but I need to take my treatment first.” Im tok.

‘Hilary na our personal project’

Friends of Hillary wey be former Architecture students of Unijos Class of 1991 say as dem don start now, dem dey committed to see Hillary back on im feet.

Suleiman Ibrahim Khalid say dia classmates don commit demsefs to make regular contributions wey go pay for Hillary treatment until im recover and even integrate am back to society and back to Architecture practice.

For pipo wey get friends or relations with mental health issue, Braide say make dem no dey pursue and stigmatise such pipo as dat one go prevent dem from giving dem di helep dem need.

Suleiman add say dis experience don teach am say many pipo with mental health issue wey dey roam about for streets get a medical solution and dem just need pesin to show practical love and give dem di help dem need.

Dem add say di whole class dey plan to come visit Minabelem for Port Harcourt very soon to show am say im no dey alone and pipo dey wey really care for im well-being.