Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The National Taskforce on the Decriminalisation of Attempted Suicide has commended the Federal Executive Council’s approval of the proposed amendment to Nigeria’s mental health legislation to decriminalise attempted suicide,
It said transmission of the bill to the National Assembly for consideration is a step in the right direction.
A statement signed by the chair of the Taskforce, Prof. Cheluchi Onyemelukwe, said that the step is a significant development in Nigeria’s mental health reform journey and represents an important step towards aligning the country’s laws with its evolving public health, mental health and human rights commitments.
According to her, the present milestone is the outcome of sustained work over the past two years.
Onyemelukwe noted that while Nigeria was strengthening its mental health policy and developing a national suicide prevention framework, attempted suicide continued to be criminalised under Section 327 of the Criminal Code and Section 231 of the Penal Code.
She said the continued existence of these provisions was increasingly difficult to reconcile with a public health approach to suicide prevention.
Onyemelukwe urged the National Assembly to give the proposed amendment the necessary legislative attention.
She said: “The position of the Task Force is therefore hinged on one cardinal truth; a person who survives a suicide attempt should be met first with appropriate health and psychosocial interventions, not criminal prosecution.”
The chair noted that decriminalisation is not a removal of the state’s responsibility to protect life, nor does it diminish the seriousness of suicide.
“Rather, it removes the criminal penalty imposed on the person experiencing suicidal distress and creates a legal environment more conducive to help-seeking, early intervention, treatment and recovery.
“This distinction is important. Suicide prevention is a public health responsibility requiring early identification of risk, access to appropriate mental healthcare, crisis intervention, psychosocial support, effective referral systems and sustained follow-up.
“Criminalising the person who survives an attempt does not provide these interventions. It can instead reinforce stigma and create additional barriers to disclosure and help-seeking.
“Evidence and expert discussion considered during the reform process have consistently pointed to the need for Nigeria to move from a punitive approach towards a prevention and care-oriented response,” she said.
The National Task Force was inaugurated by the federal government on October 10, 2024, with a mandate to facilitate strategic stakeholder engagement, build public understanding of the need for decriminalisation, mobilise support, and develop a government-wide position on the reform.