Police rescue 26 persons from ‘strange mental home’ in Osun

The Osun Police Command said it has rescued 26 persons from what it described as ‘strange mental home’ in Iwo area of the state.

The Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Olafimihan Adeoye, made the disclosure while briefing newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo.

He said the victims were dehumanised under the guise of receiving treatment for mental illness, adding that four persons connected with the home had been arrested.

Adeoye, who said that the 26 victims had been taken to hospital for medical attention, said that three of them had died.

“At about 4.00 p.m hours on Thursday, we received information of the existence of a camp in Iwo, where some sick persons were being treated in a dehumanised manner.”

“On receiving the information, we contacted the necessary agencies of government to join us to visit the place and arrested four persons who are currently undergoing interrogation.”

“About 26 fellows were found in the camp and had been taken to the hospital for necessary medical care.”

“We also discovered that two of them have passed on just yesterday; I have just been informed that when conveying them to the hospital, another one gave up on the way.”

“So, we now have three of them that are dead. But, we hope that further investigation will reveal some other things,” Adeoye said.

The police commissioner said that the police would investigate the matter with a view to determining the culpability of those involved in setting up the camp.

“For now, the state government has taken up the responsibility to ensure that those rescued are effectively taken care of,” he said

The suspected owner of the camp, Kamardeen Akanmu, claimed that it was a spiritual healing centre for mentally challenged persons.

Akanmu, who spoke in Yoruba language, said that some of the victims died and were buried in the camp with the consent of their families.

Meanwhile, the Osun State government, on Sunday said it would not tolerate any move by individuals setting up illegal healing and rehabilitation homes in any part of the state.

According to a statement signed by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, office of the governor, Mr Semiu Okanlawon, with government’s investment in a care centre for people with mental challenge, no one has reason to patronize unqualified homes for mental illness.

The statement added: “the attention of the government of Osun has been drawn to the existence of an uncertified rehabilitation home where about two dozens of mentally challenged persons have been discovered. The discovery was made off the Iwo-Osogbo Road on Thursday, February 23rd, 2017.”

“Government has moved fast to evacuate the emaciated mentally-challenged persons who were found to be in different deplorable states of health to its facilities at the state hospital and rehabilitation home, while the state police command continues with its full investigations.”