MR DANIEL Bassil, a victim of suicide attempt who climbed a 200ft telecommunication mast in Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos State, has been reunited with his family.
This was made possible by National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, on Thursday.
Recalled that the victim climbed the mast by Go-Yee area, Iyana-Ipaja on Wednesday, after informing people that he wanted to fellowship with God in praises but things took a different turn when he climbed the mast.
He was later rescued by men of NEMA and other emergency responders who took him to Gowon Estate Divisional Headquarters for investigations.
However, the immediate younger brother of the victim, Mr Sunday Bassi, was said to have traced
NEMA Lagos Territorial Office in order to be connected with his distressed brother.
The Acting Coordinator, NEMA, Lagos State, Ibrahim Farinloye, who briefed Vanguard about the development said the Lagos Territorial Office led Mr Sunday Bassi to the office of the Officer In Charge, Disaster Management Unit (DMU) of the Lagos Command of Nigeria Police, CSP Elizabeth Opadola and the brothers have been united with each other.
He said, “The DMU has also led Mr Sunday Daniel to Gowon Estate Police Station where Mr Daniel Bassi is being taking care of.
“NEMA was briefed by the brother of the distressed Nigerian that Mr Daniel Bassi had been behaving strangely for a couple of years back.
“He explained that Mr Daniel Bassi has been avoiding their mum and siblings and refused to speak or attend to family matters including meetings or talk with anyone in the family.
“He averred that noone knows anything about him as he sees everyone as an enemy.”
Farinloye said the Agency inquired why the family did not take steps to find solutions to the mental health and he responded , “we asked him why the family did not take immediate actions about his mental health, but he said his immediate younger brother, a Reverend in Port Harcourt was the only one that could get his attention while the family did not see his behaviour as a serious illness,”
Hiowever, Mr Sunday Bassi promised that the family will do its best to look after the victim. “We thank God for His grace that our brother was rescued and we will do our best to care for him.” He said.
The Acting Coordinator appealed to Nigerians to report cases of distress to health and emergency practitioners, ‘ NEMA is hereby appealing to all that anytime we see anybody displaying these symptoms, we must not handle it with levity but we should report or engage mental health practitioners as such person could be under serious depression and if not handle early could lead to extreme ends.”
