Nelson Utip
The Nigerian Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to establish a national framework for suicide prevention, decriminalise attempted suicide and provide rehabilitation for survivors. This is as The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio opposes it. Akpabio insists that the act should remain punishable by imprisonment.
The bill is sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, representing Cross River South, and seeks to address what he described as a contradiction in Nigeria’s laws.
Senator Ekpenyong posits that while the National Mental Health Act recognizes attempted suicide as a psychiatric emergency which requires treatment, Section 327 of the Criminal Code and Section 231 of the Penal Code still criminalize the act.
He argued that decriminalization without accessible care would be incomplete and highlighted that suicide has complex causes requiring a humane, health-focused response.
“At the heart of this bill is a simple question: when a Nigerian survives a suicide attempt, should the first response of the state be prosecution or protection?” he asked.
Ekpenyong is of the opinion that criminalization discourages people from seeking help, forces families to conceal suicide attempts and contributes to poor data on the problem.
The senator admonished that continued punishment could create a situation in which people experiencing distress feel compelled to ensure their attempts are fatal to avoid prosecution.
The bill proposes replacing imprisonment with mandatory assessment, referral, treatment and follow-up support. It also provides for crisis helplines, training for police officers, teachers and health workers, public education and a national data system for suicide prevention.
The Senate President however maintained that attempted suicide should remain a criminal offence, he argued that removing the penalties could encourage the act.
He further said that the issue involves both the Criminal Code and the Penal Code which requires input from State Houses of Assembly during a public hearing to avoid legal conflicts.
Meanwhile, the bill has been referred to the Senate Committees on Judiciary and Health for further legislative action and a public hearing.
