A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE BEFORE WE JUDGE

Mirable’s case: A different perspective before we judge.

It really is well. First of all, I’m no activist, advocate, human rights defender of any sort, or any other term that can be used to describe what the subject matter is. However, this is my take on the recent trend that’s already public knowledge in Nigerian especially.
Note: this isn’t a point of view that tries to defend or victimize the accuser here. This is just my take on the case and nothing more.
Now, It’s important to know that because the country we’re in does not really or convincingly take mental health issues seriously does not mean they do not exist. We are in a country where, on a normal day, victims of mental disorders are scared to speak out because they’re afraid of being laughed at, victimized, or not taken seriously.
The case of Mirabel, in as much as it is one that has exploded on the internet, isn’t one which should be taken lightly or analyzed with sentimentality. This does not make those who judged the accuser, bad people, NO. This is just an open ground to rethink and actually see, for once at least, that this is not a case like any other. This is clearly not a case with the aim of chasing clout 🚫❌. There are some things in life that, no matter how much of an overthinker, analyst, or empathetic individual you are, you can’t understand them until you’ve experienced them. My obvious stance regarding that sentence comes from a personal life experience.
The first time I heard about this case was in the early hours of yesterday, 18th of February, 2026. Now, not to be sexist or anything, but my first instinct, based on the story that was told to me before making my own research, was that the entire thing wasn’t clear, as the story wasn’t adding up. In fact, I neglected the case entirely and decided to move on as if it were just another random case going around. I’ve never been a person who tries to analyze a case of this of any sort, nor of this magnitude. I used to be a bit nonchalant when it comes to stories that erupts from social media. I only pick up interest in a few, and the story of Mirabel honestly did not sound convincing enough for me to follow up at first because I thought it was just another clout chase. That was a huge fault that I myself am guilty of. That’s why I stated that having supported or criticized her based on the initial evidence provided doesn’t make you a bad person.
Now let’s get to what I’ve come here to do. Mirabel accused an anonymous individual of rape via a video she posted on her social media. Only a disturbed person will decide not to show sympathy for such an individual in the first instance. Even the popularly known activist in Nigeria, VDM, who always advocate on not being emotional when it comes to judgment, had to sympathize with the girl at first, as he assured her that he would stand with her as well as show his support during this trying moment of her life.
Now, does that mean he should ignore the fact that her story, as captivating as it may have sounded initially, does not have all the facts adding up? Mirabel made a rape accusation against an anonymous individual via a video and some screenshots to back up her claim. This made it even more difficult for individuals not to feel for her. But only after revisiting the facts will one discover that there were a lot of holes in her story as well as in the evidence she provided.
To begin her statement, she said in her first few sentences that she has INSOMIA and finds it difficult to sleep. She also said that she only falls asleep with the help of certain unprescribed means, such as drinking alcohol and sometimes getting high on CODINE if necessary. Now, in as much as it seems like she laid a false report, it should be noted that this is a very sensitive and unpopular case, especially in the type of society we live in (Nigeria). We are in a country where things like mental illness, rehabilitation, emotional support, and the likes are highly underemphasized. Mirabel is a victim of her actions, but that doesn’t make her a bad person.
Now, this is not me supporting her or being against the accuser, but just an unbiased view of things which might help the public analyze better what’s happening based on the provided facts so far.
Mirabel is an orphan. She lost her dad in 2014, and her mom a couple of years later due to shock, after the news of her son’s (Mirabel’s brother) death. Not to mention the fact that she is just eighteen, born on the 22nd of November, 2007. In as much as it is popular knowledge that anyone from the age of eighteen and above is or are sensible enough to make adult decisions independently and take accountability for them, it is also important to know that not all individuals above the age of eighteen are capable of that.
In the case of Mirabel, she is an adult, but a very young adult in all ramifications. She’s battling a lot of negative emotional weight for her age. Yes, she’s an adult, and I know there are people who have been through worse, but that doesn’t make what she’s going through okay. Many individuals walking around today are going through depression without knowing how to voice out for help, let alone know what to do about it. They would rather try to make their lives better by chasing money than solve the root cause because society had painted an illusion that money brings peace and happiness. All of that is happening because our society has undermined issues relating to mental illness. Some even see it as spiritual which might be true but we shouldn’t always think about anything and everything that has to do with mental illness first as a spiritual problem.
Yes, Mirabel laid a false accusation, we all know that. One of the very few positives of what she did was that she kept the accused anonymous, which gave room for no arrest of an alleged rapist. Had she mentioned someone, the case wouldn’t have been as calm as it is right now. I’m not saying it’s calm, but you get what I mean.
We should also consider the fact that she is suffering from a severe mental disorder, which I don’t have the exact words for right now, but we can clearly see that something is wrong. A lot of people want her to be treated the same way a rapist would be treated. Your claim is valid, but that’s being sentimental about this. In a developed country, no matter the offense one might have committed, as long as there is a history or possibility of mental disorder with the accused, the case takes a different dimension and can no longer be treated as a normal case.
This is where personal experiences come in. There is no way you can accurately understand what someone is going through or entirely feel their pain unless you have gone through that specific thing or something extremely similar. There are different emotions attached to different situations.
I’d never, in this lifetime or the next, consider myself suicidal. When I saw it in movies, I’d tell myself that they were just acting. Even when it happens in real life, I’d convince myself that it couldn’t have been intentional. Suicide was never in my dictionary because I didn’t believe in it. All of that changed when life hit. I didn’t believe myself when I first had the thought of taking my own life. I thought it was a dream. I tried to convince myself it wasn’t real until I attempted it on several occasions.
Human emotion is something science may never fully decipher. Emotions can make one do what they never thought they’d do.
Now back to Mirabel. Yes, we can criticize her all we want, but not publicly destroy her because she sees everything. We can say she could have taken a better route that wouldn’t have led her here. But at this point, what has happened has happened. She’s lost her whole family and probably didn’t have a manual on how life works when all of that happened.
The case of Mirabel shouldn’t be seen as just another person trying to chase clout or get engagement from public emotions. It’s a case of mental instability that is rarely given the proper attention in our country. Maybe this will finally prompt more attention to mental health advocacy in Nigeria and push the government to act, you never know.
Mirabel should not be proclaimed guilty of anything beyond her own condition here if possible. Had she publicly accused someone in particular, that would be different. But it didn’t get to that, and thank God it didn’t. So as long as there is no case of defamation or someone’s reputation destroyed, there shouldn’t be as much hate on her as there is right now. I know this will most likely not go far or anything, infact I don’t know if I’m going to end up posting this, maybe it’d just be in my note app like others. But it gives me the satisfaction that I was able to give my take on this delicate situation.
If you end up seeing this, Mirabel, you probably won’t, but if you do, I want you to know that I’m a guy, and in as much as my support may not mean much, I am with you. And I hope that makes you feel even slightly better.
For those of us reading this, this could have been anyone, God forbid, but yes, it really could be anyone. We don’t choose the family we are born into. If we are fortunate to be in a stable one, we shouldn’t undermine the capacity of others who weren’t. Everyone, especially her fellow females should not withdraw their support. Just like you supported her when the news broke, you shouldn’t fall back on your support now because of the fact that what she said happened didn’t happen.
Anyway, I feel fulfilled and somewhat happy I did this. I couldn’t stop thinking about everything she might be going through. Let me say this, I haven’t been exactly where she is, but I’ve had my own share of mental breakdowns, and I know to some extent what it can do to someone’s life.

#reallife#realevent#adeleyetaiwo

Story by… Adeleye Taiwo

Thank you for reading.