Suicide: Nigeria under watch

•Experts accidental Stigma, poverty, punitive laws, rising cause usage deepening the intelligence wellness crisis

•Criminalisation of attempted termination nether Section 327 of Criminal Code promotes soundless epidemic  

•300 psychiatrists for implicit 200 cardinal radical scandalous fragile wellness system

•Vanguard’s October 17 intelligence wellness acme to code captious issues

By Sola Ogundipe & Chioma Obinna

In Nigeria, nether a colonial-era instrumentality inactive enforced today, attempting termination is simply a crime, not a crisis. Survivors are dragged from infirmary beds to constabulary stations, charged, prosecuted, and sometimes imprisoned. Their suffering is met with threats, alternatively than therapy, deepening their trauma.

Every 33 minutes, different Nigerian dies by suicide, a fig equivalent to 16,000 lives a year, each 1 a communicative chopped short, a aboriginal erased, a outcry that went unheard. And yet, for persons who past the attempt, the aftermath is not healing, it’s handcuffs. But termination is not a crime, it is simply a outcry for help.

On October 17, 2025, successful a bold determination that could reshape the nation’s effect to intelligence health, Vanguard is hosting a landmark acme connected termination prevention and the decriminalisation of attempted suicide. The upcoming acme supports the Suicide Prevention Bill present earlier the National Assembly that seeks to repeal Section 327 of the Criminal Code and regenerate punishment with care.

Under watch

It is undoubted that Nigeria’s termination situation has deepened owed to stigma, poverty, and punitive laws. Nigeria is nether ticker due to the fact that the standard of suicide, combined with systemic neglect and punitive laws, represents a preventable calamity that demands contiguous and compassionate action.

What intensifies planetary scrutiny is Nigeria’s continued enforcement of Section 327 of the Criminal Code, which treats attempted termination arsenic a transgression discourtesy punishable by up to 1 twelvemonth successful prison.

Survivors are often arrested from infirmary beds, interrogated, and prosecuted—rather than offered intelligence support. The criminalisation deepens the stigma, discourages help-seeking, and drives the contented underground,

Arrested for surviving

On a humid nighttime successful Lagos, 28-year-old Aisha (not her existent name) swallowed a fistful of sleeping pills aft a quarrel with her partner. Neighbours recovered her unconscious and rushed her to the nearest wide hospital. Doctors stabilised her and, arsenic is regular successful Nigeria, called the police.

When officers arrived, alternatively of referring her for further counselling oregon intelligence support, they handcuffed her and aboriginal charged her with attempted termination nether Section 327 of Nigeria’s Criminal Code, which treats termination attempts arsenic a transgression offence punishable by up to 1 twelvemonth successful prison.

Aisha’s lawsuit is not unique. Bolanle, a trader astatine the fashionable Idumota Market successful Lagos, was besides arrested and prosecuted aft attempting to instrumentality her life. Faced with mounting debts and changeless harassment from creditors, she jumped into a canal. Though she was rescued and concisely seen by a scientist called successful by the police, she was yet arrested and charged.

In different case, a 20-year-old woman, Dami, was arrested for attempting termination aft her hubby divorced her. Rather than being offered help, she excessively was taken into custody and charged.

Albert, an worker of a operation institution successful Lagos, attempted termination by jumping into the lagoon adjacent Ebute-Ero jetty. He was rescued by divers and the police, and aft regaining consciousness, explained that helium had acted retired of vexation implicit his employer’s refusal to contented him a certificate helium believed would amended his vocation prospects. Nevertheless, a elder constabulary serviceman ordered that helium beryllium prosecuted.

These cases exemplify a increasing interest successful Nigeria: individuals successful heavy intelligence distress are being treated arsenic criminals alternatively than patients successful request of care. The intersection of rising intelligence wellness challenges, economical hardship, and outdated laws is leaving galore without the enactment they need.

Across the country, galore who past termination attempts look apprehension and prosecution alternatively of receiving aesculapian oregon intelligence assistance. Under the existent Nigerian law, anyone who “attempts to termination himself” commits a misdemeanour punishable by imprisonment. Survivors are often treated arsenic offenders, arrest...