“How I Ran Away From My Family, Changed My Identity”– Chacha Eke Recounts Terrifying Experience

“Slide 1 photo was me by this time last year-1st June 2022. I was in the middle of a manic episode that lingered for months. One day, I woke at 3am feeling unsafe and ran vigorously to a nearby motor park. I travelled to Lagos from Asaba like a fugitive.

Loitered the streets/hotels and beaches in Lagos for days. It was a rough blend of schizophrenia, depression, identity crisis and bipolar disorders. Using this “made-up” Identity card of me from one of my imaginary companies; I headed for Ghana by boat. Clad in black jalabia, I kept moving. I passed border after border; terrified & unrecognized.

In that moment, I was a “Drifter”. It was at First bank in Ghana through a lovely bank staff named “Esther” that somehow, I remembered me. I remembered home. Esther was an Angel the universe used to open my eyes to the reality I disconnected from. I began to make my way back home. It took days but I returned, albeit sickly & in denial. One year later, l’m thankful to have survived one of my craziest episodes ever recorded.”