Relatives of 29-year-old graduate of Anatomy, Dr. Adedayo Adewumi, have been thrown into confusion following his disappearance.
It
was gathered that Adedayo, a first time visitor to Lagos, went missing
on August 27 after he step out of the house for fresh air.
The
family told our correspondent that Adedayo came to Lagos State from Port
Harcourt, Rivers State, on August 22 and was staying with some family
members on Alawode Street, Kilo, in the Surulere area of the state.
Adedayo
was said to have stepped out of the house on the fateful day for fresh
air after a power outage. He was said to have left the house without his
cell phone.
His father, a retired engineer with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr.
Ademola Adewumi, told our correspondent that he was worried because the
missing man was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2006 while studying
Medicine at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.
Schizophrenia
is defined by the dictionary of Medicine as a mental disorder often
characterised by abnormal social behaviour and failure to recognise what
is real.
According to the dictionary, common symptoms
include false beliefs, unclear or confused thinking, auditory
hallucinations, reduced social engagement and emotional expression, and
lack of motivation. The disorder is thought to mainly affect the ability
to think. People with schizophrenia are likely to have additional
conditions, including major depression and anxiety disorders.
The
condition is said to have posed a lot of challenges to Adedayo when he
was a student of Medicine. Unable to cope with Medicine, he had to
change to Anatomy.
His father, Ademola, said, “I suspect he is
wandering around or languishing somewhere by now. We have gone to all
the police stations in our area and beyond. But my major worry is that
if there is a case of accident or wrongful arrest, the police will be
able to tell, but they may overlook a case of a man wandering aimlessly.
“I
have his medical records with me. He has been treated six times for the
condition, but always had a relapse. However, since he graduated in
2012, there had been an improvement. That was why we suggested a visit
to Lagos hoping that the change of environment will help.”
Adedayo
was said to be the eldest of three boys. His younger brother, Adeshina
Adewumi, a banker with a commercial bank in Lagos, said Adedayo had
bouts of depression in the past, it made him to disconnect from people
and to stop using his phones, adding that there had been an improvement
in his condition following his graduation and the end of the National
Youth Service Corps.
He said, “While in school, he was often
depressed. But when he finished school, his condition improved. Since
then, he has always been in a guided environment.
“Shortly before
he came to Lagos, he fell into depression again and my father suggested
that he should come to Lagos with the hope that the change of
environment would lighten him up.
“He did not have any
disagreement with anybody, he was happy to come to Lagos. In fact, a day
before he went missing, he was planning to go with me to Lekki.”
The Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Patricia Amadin, promised to get back to our correspondent on the matter.
She, however, had yet to do so as of press time.
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