From birth I have been the one to speak against any form of authoritarian or totalitarian politics. I believe in independence, democracy and the rule of law. However, in 2015 when the political party changed, I experienced what it feels like to be living independently under a state in Nigeria. I had just lost my parents in 2011-2012, immediately the dominance of communism as the only permitted ideology began. The appearance of this monistic view on reality became the main preconditions for the existence of a system of political abuse of psychiatry. It soon becomes clear to me that, the practice of using psychiatry against political opponents existed long ago, only that I am just getting introduced into it. Some cases surfaced, notably in 2012 - 2015 in Abuja and later 2015 - 2018 in Benin.1 What came in place, however, was a very disturbing collection of other forms of abuse, including human rights abuses owing to lack of resources, corruption, outdated methods of treatment, lack of understanding of individual human rights and a growing lack of tolerance in society. This includes ‘economic abuse’ (e.g. having relatives declared mentally ill in order to take control of their possessions) or criminals buying their way out to freedom by bribing psychiatrists to deliver false diagnoses, as well as general human rights violations in psychiatric institutions, such as adverse living conditions, abuse by staff or gang stalking, unlawful incarceration and inhumane treatment.

However, although on the outside the political climate might have changed, in the minds of the citizens much of the psychological climate remained virtually unaltered.


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