All you need to know about new Suicide (Prevention) Bill Nigeria senate dey consider
Wia dis foto come from, Godswill Akpabio/Facebook
Di Nigeria Senate dey currently discuss one new bill - National Suicide Prevention Bill - wey go comot attempted suicide as criminal offence wey dey punishable by prison sentence for di kontri.
Dis mata to pass di suicide prevention bill don dey go on since February 2025 wen dem first introduce di bill for di National Assembly, but e bicom issue of national discourse again afta viral videos on social media on Tuesday show how members of di senate bin argue for and against di bill bifor dem later pass di second reading.
For dat viral clip, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong wey dey represent Cross River South senatorial district bin dey try to explain say attempting suicide na mental health matter and e no suppose be criminal offence.
E argue say pesin wey bin try to take im own life but survive, dem suppose take am go get medical treatment, no be to put am for jail, if not, e mean say pipo wey dey push to attempt suicide, must to make sure say dem succeed otherwise na prison dey wait for dem.
However, di Senate President Godswill Akpabio insist say as di Nigeria law be now, "If you attempt suicide, make sure say you kpai. Anyone wey attempt am and survive go chop prison".
So wetin be di main tins for dis new bill, wetin di existing law tok about attempting suicide and wetin be di law for oda kontris?
Di new suicide prevention bill
Dis new bill dey sponsored in di Nigerian Senate by di senator representing Cross River South, Asuquo Ekpenyong, and for di House of Representatives, na Francis Ejiroghene Waive, wey dey represent Ughelli North/South/Udu federal constituency sponsor am.
Di ogbonge provisions for di bill include:
- To cancel section 327 of di Criminal Code Act and section 231 of di Penal Code wey tok say attempted suicide na criminal offence
- To enforce di fundamental human rights of pesin wey bin attempt to take im own life
- For di kontri to get 'National Suicide Prevention Strategic framework', and also establish 'National Suicide Prevention Task force'
- To establishment National and state suicide prevention centres as well as put in place National and state suicide surveillance systems
- To increase data collection, analysis and research on suicide prevention
- To criminalise offences against pesin wey attempt suicide, like sharing confidential information about dem or taking undue advantage of dem in any way
Wetin di existing law tok?
Section 327 of di Criminal Code Act tok say: "Any pesin wey attempt to kpai imsef dey guilty of misdemeanor and e dey liable to imprisonment for one year."
Similarly, for section 231 of di Penal Code Act e say: "Whoeva attempt to commit suicide and do an act towards di commission of dat offence, go dey punished wit imprisonment for a term wey fit extend to one year or wit fine or wit both."
Di Criminal Code dey applicable for di Southern region of Nigeria while di Penal Code dey more applicable for di northern region.
However, Nigeria also get di National Mental Health Act wey former President Muhammad Buhari bin sign into law on January 5, 2023.
One of di provisions of dis Act na to establish 'Department of Mental Health Services' for di Federal Ministry for Health wey dia work go include to "facilitate a national suicide prevention strategy".
Dis department of national health services go also dey in charge of responding to "psychiatric emergencies" like in case of "attempted suicide, acute intoxication, severe depression, acute psychosis, or violent behavior".
Dis folo for di major arguement of di lawmakers wey dey propose di new suicide prevention bill, as dem tok say di way di laws dey currently, e dey tok wit di two side of dia mouth; on one hand, di law tok say pesin wey attempt suicide go chop one year in prison, but on di oda hand di law don establish special department wey go dey take care of pipo wey attempt suicide.
Suicide rate for Nigeria
Data from di World Health Organisation (WHO) show say di rate wey pipo dey take kpai diasef for Nigeria, dey increase.
In 2019, di data show say a total of 7,019 suicide cases dey recorded for Nigeria, and out of dat numba, 1,909 na females while 5,110 na males. But in 2021, di figure don increase to 10,912 total suicide cases recorded - 1,658 females and 9,254 males.
Di WHO also estimate say for evri one completed suicide attempt for Nigeria, dem get at least 20 unsuccessful attempts.
Howeva, wit di suicide rate of 6.9 per 100,000 population, Nigeria no dey for di top ten kontris wey get di highest rate of suicide for Africa, and di average rate of suicide for di continent - 11 per 100,000 population - dey higher dan di global average of 9 per 100,000 population.
Wetin be di law for oda kontris
Suicide attempt na criminal offence for many kontris for Africa, even though mental health campaigners don dey push to change dis, and dem don achieve positive results for some kontris like Ghana and Kenya.
For January 2025, one high court judge for Kenya rule say attempted suicide no longer be crime punishable by two years imprisonment.
In Ghana, former President Nana Akufo-Addo sign di Criminal Offences Amendment Act into law for April 2023, and one of di provisions be say "Pesin wey attempt suicide go dey conclusively considered to have severe mental disorder and di provisions of di Mental Health Act, 2012 (Act 846) go apply".
Also, for South Africa, e no get any law or legislation wey tok say suicide or attempted suicide na offence, but na crime for any third party to help somebodi to try take im own life.
For oda kontris like Di Gambia, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, etc, suicide attempt na still offences wey dey considered as misdemeanor and punishable by either fine or prison sentence.
