Abakaliki Residents Decry Attacks By Mentally Challenged Persons

Residents of Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, yesterday expressed concern over the recent upsurge of attacks by mentally challenged persons on innocent passersby calling on the relevant authorities to evacuate them from the streets.

Some of the residents maintained that those who have fallen victims to the attacks of the mentally challenged persons include women and children and expressed sadness over the rising influx of mentally challenged persons especially young men on the streets, major roads, market places and other places within the capital city.

A trader at the International Market, Abakaliki, Mrs Charity Ezinwa who described the influx as alarming noted that many of them do not only appear violent, but also carry around dangerous weapons along with them.

She noted that their presence does not only constitute a nuisance but also pose threat to innocent citizens.

She noted that often times, “these mentally sick persons come to your shops begging for money and when you don’t pay attention to them, they either abscond with your goods or they will spoil something in your shop.

“Most times they only target women, ladies and children. I recall an incident that occurred along Waterworks Road Abakaliki when a young deranged man pushed a woman on a commercial motorcycle; she fell and died. The sick man ran away and till today, nothing was heard again of the unfortunate incident.

“Most times, you see them in their numbers prowling the streets and the markets and you begin to wonder, where they came from?

Another resident, Mr Chidi Uzor called on the state government to either build a settlement centre for them or find a way to evacuate them from the streets.

“Most times you see a mentally deranged woman prowling the streets and few months later, you see her pregnant. Who are the people impregnating them? She will nurse the pregnancy but surprisingly, after 9 months, you won’t see her with the pregnancy again and you won’t see her with the baby,” he stated.

LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that few days ago, tragedy struck in Umuchima Enuebo in Uburu Ohaozara LGA when a mentally challenged man attacked and killed an elderly woman, Mrs Eunice Njoku while returning from her farm.

A source who spoke with LEADERSHIP Sunday on grounds of anonymity said that the suspected sick man who was in the habit of harassing people with dangerous weapons, met the deceased on a lonely farm road and attacked her with a rod and she died instantly.

It was further gathered that the youths of the area quickly mobilised and overpowered the suspected man whom it was alleged died later in the day.