…As Bill Proposes Treatment, Crisis Helplines, Rehabilitation Instead Of Jail
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has opposed plans to remove imprisonment as punishment for attempted suicide, setting up a sharp disagreement in the Senate over whether survivors should face prosecution or receive medical and psychological support.
Akpabio’s position emerged as a bill seeking to decriminalise attempted suicide and establish a national suicide prevention framework passed second reading in the Senate on Tuesday.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, representing Cross River South, seeks to replace the threat of imprisonment with a health-centred response that includes psychiatric assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and follow-up care.
Akpabio, however, argued that attempted suicide should remain a criminal offence, warning that removing the penalties could encourage the act.
“If you attempt suicide, make sure you die. Anyone who attempts and fails will go to jail,” the Senate President said.
His position contrasts with the central argument of the proposed legislation, which maintains that punishing people who survive suicide attempts could discourage them and their families from seeking professional help.
Presenting the bill, Ekpenyong questioned whether prosecution should be the government’s first response when someone survives a suicide attempt, arguing that the circumstances surrounding such incidents require a more compassionate and medically informed approach.
He identified a contradiction between Nigeria’s existing criminal laws and the National Mental Health Act, which recognises attempted suicide as a psychiatric emergency requiring appropriate care.
While Section 327 of the Criminal Code and Section 231 of the Penal Code criminalise attempted suicide, the proposed legislation seeks to establish a framework that prioritises intervention and recovery over incarceration.
Ekpenyong argued that criminalisation could force families to conceal suicide attempts and prevent survivors from accessing assistance, thereby making it more difficult for authorities to understand the scale of the problem.
He also warned that the fear of prosecution could have dangerous consequences for people experiencing severe emotional distress, who might become reluctant to seek help after surviving an attempt.
Beyond decriminalisation, the bill proposes crisis helplines, public awareness campaigns and training for police officers, teachers and healthcare workers to improve the identification and handling of suicide-related emergencies.
It also provides for a national data system to support prevention efforts, alongside mandatory assessment, referral, treatment and follow-up services for survivors.
Akpabio, while maintaining his opposition, said the proposed reform required careful consideration of the relationship between the Criminal Code and the Penal Code.
He called for State Houses of Assembly to contribute to the process during a public hearing to help address potential legal conflicts.
The bill has been referred to the Senate Committees on Judiciary and Health for further legislative work and a public hearing.
Its passage at second reading does not mean attempted suicide has been decriminalised, as the proposal must undergo further legislative scrutiny before it can become law.
