- Lagos Rescues Woman Who Tried to File Police Report Against the Sun
- Eyewitnesses said the woman had arrived at the station and attempted to lodge a complaint against the sun
- Police at Panti Division declined to comment, citing patient confidentiality
Officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development on Monday rescued a mentally distressed woman after receiving a distress call about an unusual incident at the Panti Police Station in Yaba.
Eko Hot Blog reports that eyewitnesses said the woman had arrived at the station in a ride-hailing vehicle and attempted to lodge a complaint against the sun, insisting it was harassing her and demanding that officers take action.
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A distress alert, posted on Instagram, quickly drew the attention of the ministry’s Rapid Response Team, which arrived within an hour and transferred the woman to a state-run rehabilitation centre for immediate medical and psychiatric evaluation.
Officials confirmed that she remains under observation.
The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Abubakre Ogunlende, commended the team for its swift and professional intervention, praising the role of public vigilance in aiding mental-health responses.
“Public vigilance through social media played a critical role,” Ogunlende said in a statement.
The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu, urged Lagos residents to report individuals showing signs of acute mental distress.
“Early intervention prevents tragedy,” she said.
This is not the first such incident handled by the ministry. In July 2024, the same rescue unit saved a naked man attempting to jump off the Third Mainland Bridge after claiming that voices from the lagoon were ordering him to do so. The man, later diagnosed with schizophrenia, underwent rehabilitation and was reunited with his family after three months of treatment.
Lagos State currently operates three public rehabilitation centres with a combined capacity of 350 beds, but experts say demand far exceeds available space.
According to Nigeria’s 2023 National Mental Health Survey, one in four Nigerians lives with a mental-health condition, yet the country has fewer than 300 psychiatrists serving a population of more than 200 million.
Officials say the ministry’s 24-hour hotline and growing use of Instagram for emergency tips have reduced average response times from four hours in 2022 to under 90 minutes in 2025.
Ride-hailing companies have also begun training drivers to recognise signs of psychological distress. Uber Nigeria confirmed that its safety team had flagged the incident after the driver reported erratic passenger behaviour.
Police at Panti Division declined to comment, citing patient confidentiality.
Mental-health stigma remains a major challenge in Nigeria, where many still turn to traditional healers as first responders.
The Lagos State Mental Health Law, enacted in 2021, mandates free emergency psychiatric care for indigent patients, but implementation has been hampered by funding gaps.
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