The Kano State Police Command has arraigned a 19-year-old man, Ibrahim Abubakar, for attempted suicide after he climbed a tall billboard structure in Kano and threatened to jump, citing the absence of TikTok celebrities he admired.

Abubakar, an indigene of Adamawa State, caused panic on Monday at Gadar Lado along Zaria Road when he mounted a high advertising structure and vowed to end his life if popular TikTok influencers he follows did not show up at the scene.

In a statement on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, confirmed that the suspect was arraigned before Magistrate Court No. 5 in Gyadi-Gyadi, Kano, on a charge of attempted suicide.

Kiyawa said: “The young man, Ibrahim Abubakar, was charged to Magistrate Court Number 5, Gyadi-Gyadi, Kano, after being rescued by security operatives.”

The Police PRO had earlier shared details of the incident in a statement issued on the day of the attempted suicide, saying: “Security operatives rescued the young man and took him to the hospital for a check-up. We successfully rescued the teenager and provided him with food, as he had spent a long time on the billboard.”

The incident drew a large crowd of onlookers just as it sparked discussions on the dangers of social media obsession and the mental health struggles among youths.

The court is expected to continue hearing on the matter in the coming days.