The Senate on Tuesday passed for second reading a bill seeking to decriminalise attempted suicide and establish a national framework for prevention and rehabilitation.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South), seeks to address inconsistencies in Nigerian laws, under which the National Mental Health Act treats attempted suicide as a psychiatric emergency requiring treatment, while Section 327 of the Criminal Code and Section 231 of the Penal Code criminalise the act.
Leading the debate, Ekpenyong said criminalisation discourages people from seeking help, forces families to conceal suicide attempts and distorts data. He warned that it could push distressed persons to ensure their attempts are fatal to avoid prosecution.
“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 said.
The bill proposes replacing jail terms with mandatory assessment, referral, treatment and follow-up. It also provides for crisis helplines, training for police officers, teachers and health workers, public education and a national data system.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, however, opposed decriminalisation, arguing that it could encourage the act.
“If you attempt suicide, make sure you die. Anyone who attempts and fails will go to jail,” Akpabio said, adding that, because both the Criminal Code and the Penal Code were involved, state Houses of Assembly should be heard at a public hearing to avoid legal conflicts.
The bill was referred to the Committees on Judiciary and Health for a public hearing and further legislative consideration.