Senate advances bill to decriminalise attempted suicide

The Senate advanced a bill on Tuesday that seeks to decriminalise attempted suicide in Nigeria and establish a national framework for prevention and rehabilitation. The bill, introduced by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong of Cross River South, aims to resolve inconsistencies in Nigerian laws, where the National Mental Health Act categorises attempted suicide as a medical emergency, while Sections 327 of the Criminal Code and 231 of the Penal Code criminalise the act.

Ekpenyong led the debate, stating that criminalisation discourages individuals from seeking help, compels families to keep such attempts secret, and hampers accurate data collection. He cautioned that it could prompt distressed individuals to ensure their attempts result in death to avoid prosecution. The crux of the bill lies in a straightforward question: should the state's initial response to a Nigerian who survives a suicide attempt be prosecution or protection?

The proposed legislation replaces jail terms with obligatory assessment, referral, treatment, and follow-up. Additionally, it establishes crisis helplines, training programs for police officers, teachers, and health workers, public education initiatives, and a national data system. However, Senate President Godswill Akpabio opposed the decriminalisation, arguing that it might encourage such acts.

He proposed that anyone who attempts and fails should be jailed, pointing out that due to the involvement of both the Criminal Code and the Penal Code, state Houses of Assembly should be heard in a public forum to prevent legal contradictions. The bill was then forwarded to the Committees on Judiciary and Health for a public hearing and further legislative deliberation.