Kolawole Samson Aremu Sanusi, a graduate of the Ogun State University, Ago Iwoye, who was seen in a viral video having a mental challenge but giving information about different mineral deposits in the state that he claimed he was able to know with the help of his feet, was followed by IFEDAYO OGUNYEMI to his base in Abeokuta and the hospital where he is receiving treatment.
On Wednesday, January 25, 2023, footage of Kolawole Samson Aremu Sanusi (also known as KSA) speaking casually about the locations of alleged mineral reserves went viral. Since then, there has been constant speculation concerning his mental health and wellbeing.
Everyone wonders how someone who allegedly excelled in his class at the university and had a remarkable memory for names, locations, and events could be left unattended to stroll the streets of the state capital.
As he appeared in the videos in shabby clothing and without shoes, more and more Nigerians have demanded that he receive medical care. Others have speculated that he might be experiencing mental health issues.
Samson, a graduate of Industrial Chemistry from the Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye), spoke to any listeners who were available in one of Joy Boy Abiodun’s TikTok videos about his time as a pastor in Lagos and his “connections” with the nation’s “big men” at home and abroad.
The tapes were filmed on Ijemo-Itoko road in the state capital’s Abeokuta South Local Government Area, according to information obtained by Sunday Tribune. The location was not far from Samson’s home in Arinlese—less than two kilometers.
According to Joy Boy Abiodun, whose real name is Morenikeji, who made the recordings that ultimately went viral, he was attracted by Samson’s claims and expertise regarding the country’s history, the locations of mineral deposits, and other topics.
He said that Samson was a familiar sight on the Ijemo-Itoko route and that the day the video was shot was not the first time he had seen him.
He claimed that Samson was conversing with Morenikeji’s neighbor, who gave him almost any eye contact. He claimed that the passage in Samson’s speech where Wizkid was referenced piqued his interest. He then discussed other topics and the areas of the country’s solid mineral deposits after taking a closer look.
“I just felt he needed to be taken care of and that was why I made the video that is trending around town as a call for help,” Morenikeji said.
A few hours after Morenikeji posted the videos on Tiktok, Samson became a viral sensation as the videos appeared on other social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp.
His home in the Arinlese neighborhood of the state capital caught fire two days after the popular films were uploaded, and it took firefighters from the Ogun State Fire Service some time to put it out. Before the fire spread to other areas of the house, it was claimed that one of the residents had lit a paper on fire.
Samson was taken from the area the same Friday, January 27, by his family members who transported him to the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, for medical care. He stayed there for around six days until being released on Thursday, February 2, and was then directed to another facility.
According to family-friendly sources, he might have schizophrenia, a mental illness in which people have skewed perceptions of reality.
The Sunday Tribune discovered that at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, about eight of Samson’s former classmates from Surulere, Lagos, secondary school and the university who had seen Samson’s viral videos and heard of his plight had come to visit him and show their support for his rehabilitation.
The building was already undergoing repair work when Sunday Tribune visited the demolished home on the final Saturday, as employees could be seen transporting construction supplies around.
After that, Sunday Tribune went to the rehabilitation facility in a different part of town where 51-year-old Samson was sent.
Samson strolled past a large room filled with other patients. He was escorted outside by a nurse wearing a blue scrub to meet his family and friends at the hospital with Sunday Tribune.
He denied being the class’ top Industrial Chemistry student during conversations. His group graduated from OSU (now OOU) in February 1997.
“When we write tests or exams, there were people who outscored me. Adeola Khadijah Onanuga and Kunle Solaru, and Jamiu Onafowokan were my closest friends in school. Adeola and Kunle were the best but sometimes, the duo said I’m actually the best in the class save for politics by teachers when grading scripts.
“Our most difficult subject was Stereochemistry which was taught by Professor Sosanwo. Prof Elueze taught us Geology. Elueze was the first person to intimate me about Itakpe where iron ore deposits are. It is one of the reasons I walk barefoot today so that I can know which land has solid minerals,” he said.
He told those present that he knew he’ll come back to live in Abeokuta since he saw it in a vision in 2006.
“I used to live in a flat at Jakande Estate, Isolo, Lagos State, before I was given the notice to leave in February 2007,” he noted.
Upon learning about our reporter’s identity, the nurse who had aided him out of the hall quickly pointed out that any media enquiries should be directed to the management of the hospital.
When asked about his official diagnosis in the presence of Samson’s elder sister, the nurse and another official of the facility told Sunday Tribune that they were not at liberty to disclose personal information relating to patients.
Samson’s elder sister, Moriliat Sanusi, who is a private school teacher, noted that Samson’s episodes started in 2010 and he was taken to a facility at Ibara where “they diagnosed him and gave him drugs.”
When asked about Samson’s immediate family, Mrs Sanusi said: “He isn’t married. He got separated from his partner before they were able to settle down and marry.”
She noted that taking care of him in the past week alone when he moved between the two facilities gulped over N300,000.
According to her, it was suggested at Aro that Samson should spend about two months at the new facility. “After that, we’re hoping to take him home and care for him,” she added.
She pleaded with well-spirited Nigerians to assist the family in taking proper care of him. She said: “We are praying for God’s grace over him. When he gets well, we’re hoping to integrate him into the society by getting a job.”
