‘Abduction may lead to mental problem, depression’

By Damola Kola-Dare

 

The tales of the rescued students from the different schools involved are virtually the same. For instance, one of the rescued girls of Government Secondary School, Jangebe, Zamfara State, captured her experience this way: “We were sleeping at night when suddenly we started hearing gun shots. They were shooting endlessly. We got out of our beds and people said we should run, that they are thieves.

“Everybody fled and there were just two of us left in the room. The other girl is from my town. I told her ‘get up!’ so we can run away; she said ‘I swear to God, I will not leave the bed’. At that stage they were pointing guns at our heads. I was really afraid of being shot.”

Kidnapping for ransom in the country has become increasingly troubling with businessmen, innocent citizens and others at the mercy of criminals desperate for money.

A geopolitical and security analyst at Afripolitika, a security think-tank, Ovigwe Eguegu said kidnappers are targeting schools because they are a soft target.

Eguegu said: “We have seen far too many cases in such a short time. It is very concerning. The cases are opportunistic. These kidnappings are low risk and high reward for the kidnappers. Some of these schools are not even fenced and they are close to bushes where criminal elements operate from.”

It has become a terrible trend with statistics revealing that no fewer than 1,157 students have been abducted between 2014 and 2021 in northern parts of the country.

From Chibok, Borno State, to Dapchi in Yobe,  Mahuta in Katsina, Kankara also in Katsina, Kagara in Niger State and the latest in Jangebe, Zamfara, it has been a litany of  abductions.

Experts, however, have weighed in on the psychological implications it will have on the young students who have had to endure such harrowing experience in the hands of armed abductors.

Dr Oluwafisayo Adebimpe, a Clinical Psychologist at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Oyo State, said: “It has a whole lot of implications. They would be scared and panicky. They may have illusions based on that experience; something that is not real. They get frightened when they see adults that resemble the abductors. In fact, merely seeing the colours of their clothes (the abductors), they are afraid. Since their abduction is a sudden event, and because they are still very young, they would be scared such may happen again

“Some vulnerable pupils among them may keep re-experiencing what had happened since it deals with the brain. And it is important to pay attention to mental health.

“It is also possible they have post-traumatic stress disorder. That is, they may be anxious, have body  palpitations or even sweat profusely. It happens more in adults, but on the anniversary of the kidnap, their minds may be preoccupied with had happened previously. If they are not well taken care of, once they have a revisit of that event in their minds, it could lead to mental health issues. Then, they could also get unduly suspicious of people and be withdrawn. Many personality traits could also develop from that experience. Some of them might even imitate the abductors and think that is the way to go (kidnapping business).They are at the age where personality of an individual develops. They could form antisocial traits.

“Thus, there is a need for professionals like mental health experts to help them manage the experience and also sensitise them that kidnapping is part of social vices. Early intervention is needed because the image of the abductors will keep reappearing in their minds.

“However, it is also better to let them relive the experience. It is called venting. Once they do that, it reduces the fear in them.”

Dr Abiodun Musbau Lawal, a lecturer and a Clinical Psychologist in the Department of Psychology, Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), said: “Kidnapping is a tramautic experience which of course, leads to emotional disturbances on the part of the abductee. In the case of the children, they may begin to experience high level anxiety and fear which leads to depression. It could also lead to ‘disociation,’ which means switching off emotionally. They could also be hostile, angry and have distrust for their immediate environment and society because of insecurity.

Read Also: Why mass abduction is flourishing

“It could also affect their personality in the long run. They could be affected by ‘anhedonia’ (inability to feel pleasure in normally pleasurable events or activities) and loss of self-esteem. In fact, it could affect academic performance. For instance, if they are back to school and they hear any noise around, you know the kind of interpretation they would give it. As humans, the interpretations we give to events in our environment actually affect our feelings. Whatever we feel determines how we are going to behave.  It is an interpretative approach that says when events happen in our environment, we give an interpretation and how we feel about that interpretation determines how we react. So, we have to change the orientation of the pupils to make them feel good about the environment.

“However, they can get over the experience with proper care. Professionals should be contacted to handle them. For instance, Nigeria Psychological Association (NPA) is the body in charge of such. They need to be given orientation afresh for them to trust the society again.”

Dr Agesin Bankole, a Social Psychologist at Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, said: “It is common to have depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder after experiencing such. Post-traumatic stress disorder means anytime they remember what they went through in the hands of the abductors, it gives signals of negative feelings. Each time they remember the abuse and ill-treatment, they are sad.

“Thus, the children are likely to develop a lack of interest towards social activities. They also find it difficult to cope in their studies.  Sadly, they would be anticipating possible attacks again which would affect their level of assimilation.

“The concept of social adjustment presupposes that when you find it difficult to adjust to an environment, you won’t be able to function effectively.

“Hence, engaging in extra- curricular activities becomes difficult because the school environment is deemed unsafe. This affects their studies. Then government and other educational stakeholders need to intervene.

“For the students to get over the experience, debriefing, reassurance, psycho-social support, and rational emotive therapy should be provided. They have to face the reality that it has happened, thus, reassurance could be enhanced through provision of social support system. But sadly, boarding schools don’t have caregivers who can interact with students and students don’t access to their parents or relatives who can give them continuous reassurance that they are loved and cherished. It is as if the students in boarding schools are caged! Then, the abductors should also be punished.”