Minabelem Hilary, also known as 50 cents, the mentally ill ex-student of the University of Jos, has reacted to the visit of his classmates to him on Valentine’s Day.
The video of Hilary and his former classmates had gone viral on Valentine’s Day.
The friends, all alumni of Unijos, specifically, the master’s class of 2001, had gone all the way to Bakana, in Rivers State to have a reunion with Hilary.
Hilary who has since been moved to a psychiatric facility for medical care told Punch that he was doing fine.
He is clocking 50 years in April. He said, “I am doing fine. It was a grand moment seeing people that I saw a long time ago. I saw them last over 20 years ago.
“In all honesty, I feel elated. I wasn’t expecting them to reach where I was but they came.’’
Hilary was said to have exhibited signs of mental illness on the day of his master’s project defence.
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According to Suleiman Ibrahim, one of Hilary’s classmates who was on the visit, reuniting with his long-time friend and classmate, after about 21 years of separation drew tears from his eyes.
Ibrahim said, “When we were in school, he was brilliant. He made second class (upper division) during our first degree. Our course (Architecture) required that one followed up with a master’s degree immediately.
READ ALSO: Moment schoolmates celebrate Valentine with their mentally unstable classmate (VIDEO& PHOTOS)
“A few days to the eve of our defence, I didn’t know what happened, but he came to school one day and was speaking incoherently. One of my friends, who is now late, Samson, discovered that Hilary, who was always serious with his academics, was not concentrating on finishing his drawing for his final defence.
“We also noticed he was doing unusual things, so Samson and myself completed the drawing for him. During those times, we still had normal conversations but whenever we asked why he didn’t want to complete his work, he would say ‘leave that one’ but we were not too sure what was wrong then.
“When we finished the drawing for him, we followed him for his defence. He presented the drawing normally and after that started questioning the competence of the professor who was to examine him. The professor then ordered him out and called on the next student. It was then I finally knew something was wrong.”
Ibrahim said that immediately he sourced funds for Hilary to travel to Lagos where his parents stayed at the time, stating that he couldn’t accompany him because the fare was not enough for both of them.
He added that some weeks later, he was told by one of their juniors in the department, who lived in the same area with Hilary in Lagos then, that he arrived home safely.
Ibrahim further said the reunion started when they met Hillary on Valentine’s Day.
He stated, “When we got there, he was tattered and the people in the village said he would not agree to change his clothes. I told them that he would change it since I am his friend. I told him to go and have his bath and change into new clothes. He agreed, the people there were surprised.
“We went to a boutique to buy clothes and Sandra Braide was able to locate a neuropsychiatric hospital where we took him to. The doctor said his condition was not too bad but only that he was left for too long and the medication would be a lifetime thing. Once he gets out of this stage and continues to use his drug, with proper orientation, he would be better.
“After we left the hospital, we lodged in a hotel, slept on the same bed, and held a conversation coherently for a long time. I noticed if he was speaking with me, his memories seem to be okay. Even the doctor said his memory was tied to our good times together. We slept, though he slept fitfully. I persuaded him to go to the salon to have a haircut and to shave his beards and he agreed. I suggested he cut his hair the way he usually styled it and he was surprised I remember and agreed to do so.
’’Following the visit to Hilary, Ibrahim said that other alumni began to be involved and offered to help Hilary.
Ibrahim added, “He put me in tears for years. I have always wept for him. My greatest prayer is that something comes out of this and that God replaces all he has lost. He is intelligent and a nice person.”
He said he and Hilary had planned to establish an architecture firm while in school, disclosing that Hilary remembered the name when they met.
Ibrahim also said he was the one who introduced Sandra to Hilary in school when he knew they were from the same hometown (Bakana).
Meanwhile, Bakana residents said Hilary was good at drawing. A chef and resident of Bakana identified only as Eldaah, said he knew Hilary by his nickname, 50cent, and that he helped him with his drawing assignments.
Eldaah said, “The first time I got convinced that he was intelligent despite his state was during a voter’s card registration a few years ago. The man in charge of registering us talked about wanting to build a house and 50cent who was close by said, “I sabi draw oo.” The man gave him a pen and paper and he neatly sketched a three-bedroom floor plan. He only made a mistake in his placement of the window of the visitors’ toilet and I corrected it.
“50cent then asked me if I do plans too. Since then, I have given him assignments to help me sketch before I transfer them to my main pad. He does them well. All I have to do is buy him whatever food he wants and he plays basketball too.”
Besides, an engineer and wife to an indigene of Bakana, identified only as Star, also said Hilary was known as 50cent in the area
Star said, “I usually see him whenever I visit Bakana. What caught my attention was how he speaks fluently despite his looks. I asked my husband what happened to him and he said the guy was on his master’s and suddenly went out and he has been mentally unstable since then.’’
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