Senate President Godswill Akpabio has opposed a bill seeking to decriminalise attempted suicide in Nigeria, insisting that survivors should be jailed.
Akpabio spoke on Tuesday during debate on the suicide
prevention bill 2026, sponsored by Asuquo Ekpenyong, senator representing Cross
River south.
The bill seeks to replace criminal punishment for attempted
suicide with medical treatment, rehabilitation and other support measures.
The senate passed the bill for second reading, allowing it
to proceed to further legislative consideration.
However, during the debate, Akpabio maintained that
attempted suicide should remain a criminal offence under existing laws.
“As far as we are concerned, we are saying that suicide is a
crime for now. Therefore, if you attempt it, you better succeed. If you don’t
succeed, we will send you to prison,” he said.
While noting that the red chamber had yet to hold a public
hearing on the proposed legislation, the senate president reiterated his
opposition to the bill.
“If you attempt it and don’t succeed, we will jail you. So,
if you attempt it, you better succeed,” he said.
EKPENYONG SEEKS SHIFT FROM PUNISHMENT TO TREATMENT
Presenting the bill, Ekpenyong said Nigeria’s legal
framework was inconsistent because the National Mental Health Act recognises
attempted suicide as a psychiatric emergency requiring immediate intervention,
while the Criminal Code and Penal Code continue to criminalise the act.
“Our law presently speaks with two voices. The National
Mental Health Act recognises attempted suicide as a psychiatric emergency
requiring immediate intervention,” the lawmaker said.
“Yet section 327 of the Criminal Code and section 231 of the
Penal Code continue to expose the same person to criminal punishment.”
He argued that criminalising attempted suicide could
discourage people experiencing suicidal thoughts from seeking help and lead
families to conceal suicide attempts for fear of prosecution or stigma.
“Criminalisation can discourage people from disclosing
suicidal thoughts or seeking help. It may cause families to conceal attempts,
health workers to avoid complete reporting, and communities to treat a medical
emergency as a source of shame,” he said.
He urged lawmakers to reconsider the country’s approach to
people who survive suicide attempts, asking whether the first response should
be prosecution or protection.
“At the heart of this bill is a simple question: When a
Nigerian survives a suicide attempt, should the first response of the state be
prosecution or protection?” he asked.
Ekpenyong said the proposed legislation would affirm that
suicide prevention is a public health responsibility and that people in
psychological distress should receive care rather than punishment.
“By supporting its second reading, this senate will affirm
that suicide prevention is a national public health responsibility, and that a
person in acute distress should be helped to recover rather than punished for
surviving,” he said.
He maintained that decriminalising attempted suicide would
not amount to endorsing suicide or excusing people who encourage or assist
others to take their lives.
“Decriminalising an attempt does not legalise or encourage
suicide. Neither does it excuse anyone who procures, encourages, or assists any
other person to take his or her life,” he said.
The senator added that removing criminal penalties would not
be sufficient without accessible mental health services, stressing that
suicidal behaviour often results from complex circumstances that require a
compassionate, health-focused response.
SENATORS RAISE LEGAL CONCERNS
Ned Nwoko, senator representing Delta north, seconded the
motion for second the motion for the bill’s second reading but questioned how
the legislation would effectively prevent people from taking their own lives.
He asked Ekpenyong to clarify the bill’s objectives and the
practical measures it proposed to prevent suicide.
Other senators supported the proposal, arguing that suicidal
behaviour could be associated with depression and other mental health
challenges requiring professional intervention.
Opeyemi Bamidele, the senate leader, raised concerns about
the legal implications of amending the existing criminal justice framework,
particularly the application of federal legislation across the states.
He noted that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act
requires adoption by state houses of assembly for application within their
respective jurisdictions, raising questions about the nationwide reach of the
proposed amendments.
Bamidele urged lawmakers to consider the legal implications
carefully to ensure that the reform achieved its intended purpose.
Abdul Ningi, senator representing Bauchi central, commended
Ekpenyong for bringing the issue before the senate, describing it as an
important subject that deserved wider public and professional debate.
Ningi said the bill’s second reading would allow medical
professionals, legal experts and other stakeholders to contribute to
discussions on suicide prevention and the treatment of survivors.
He stated that people who attempt suicide should not
automatically be regarded as criminals without consideration of the
circumstances surrounding their actions.
BILL PROPOSES CRISIS HELPLINES, REHABILITATION
The proposed legislation seeks to establish a framework for
suicide prevention, early intervention, medical treatment and long-term support
for survivors.
It would provide for crisis helplines, medical assessment,
referral services, rehabilitation and follow-up care for people who survive
suicide attempts.
The bill also seeks to promote public awareness, train
police officers, teachers and healthcare workers, and establish a national data
system to strengthen suicide prevention efforts.
Under the proposed framework, survivors would receive
appropriate medical assessment, treatment and continuing support rather than
face imprisonment.
Following the debate, the senate passed the bill for second
reading and referred it to the relevant committees on judiciary and health for
further legislative consideration, including a public hearing.
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