By Saheed Ibrahim

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A psychologist, Aisha Bubah, has called for the decriminalisation of suicide in Nigeria, emphasising that the current legal framework exacerbates mental health issues and hinders prevention efforts.

According to Bubah, Nigeria, with a population exceeding 200 million, suffers from a severe shortage of mental health professionals.

She stated that the criminalisation of attempted suicide under Section 327 of the Nigeria Criminal Code Act and Section 231 of the Penal Code discourages individuals from seeking help due to fear of imprisonment.

Bubah argued that efforts to reduce suicide rate by 15 per cent by 2030 will be insufficient without decriminalizing suicide.

“Suicides are preventable, but not when you criminalize it and shame people into silence instead of encouraging them to seek help,” Bubah emphasised.

Highlighting the social issues contributing to mental health decline, Bubah noted that economic hardship and rising insecurity in Nigeria foster feelings of anxiety and hopelessness.

The Founder of The Sunshine Series added, “Currently, the economic hardship and the rising insecurity in some parts of the country are huge causes for concern, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness among the people. This can lead to a rise in suicides, with some going unreported due to fear of stigma and persecution by law enforcement.

“Recently in Abuja, a young man was reported to have attempted to take his life but got rescued by well-meaning passers. However, once handed over to the police, he was reportedly referred to another Government agency for mental health evaluation, afterwards he will be charged to court for “attempted suicide, disturbance of public peace and incitement”.

“In as much as this can be legally justified by the law enforcement agency involved, it defeats the entire effort that has been committed by various stakeholders for decades, to improve access to mental healthcare in Nigeria and reduce stigmas and all other barriers that make it difficult to receive mental healthcare.

Bubah called on the government and relevant stakeholders to decriminalize suicide, increase investment in the mental healthcare sector, and work towards reducing the suicide rate by at least 15 per cent by 2030.

She emphasised that mental well-being is crucial for a thriving society and “abolishing such obsolete laws that have existed since colonial times, will promote help-seeking behaviour, without any fear. It will ensure that when people are struggling with suicidal thoughts, they will speak up and likely seek help.”