Aisha Armiyau, a mental health practitioner, who works at a tertiary healthcare facility in Jos, Plateau state has said mental health issues are always ignored in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
She disclosed this during a panel discussion on ‘banditry, kidnapping and the psychological impact of violence in Nigeria’ at the Kaduna Books and Arts Festival (KABAFEST).
Armiyau pointed out that food is provided for IDPs without considering the fact that health does not just involve the physical and social but also the mental well-being of an individual.
“It does not make sense to take traumatised victims to Abuja,” she said, adding that such people need attention to be paid to their mental health.
A member of the panel, Folarin Banigbe, author of ‘Abduction Chronicles’ talked about his experience when he was kidnapped and narrated how security operatives who were supposed to investigate are part of the problem.
KABAFEST is a four-day annual event that involves panel discussions, book chats and much more.
