• Why Some Victims Took Their Lives
• It’s A Sign They Couldn’t Handle Pressure On Them, Says Expert
• Anyaike Craves Change Of Focus From Tragedy To Prevention

On December 7, a disheartening story of suicide went viral. A 27-year-old student of the Nigerian Law School, Yola Campus, Adamawa State, Ayomiposi Ojajuni, was said to have committed suicide.

Ojajuni, according to available information, was said to have scored below 75 per cent in his class attendance, a paramount requirement for students writing their final bar examination and by this, barred from taking the examination.

Another source revealed that the deceased, a product of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, and an indigene of Ondo State, had in the past been issued a series of queries by the school authorities, and he had failed to respond to them, until when the list of qualified students came out and his name was not on the list; meaning he was not qualified to write the final professional law examination.

Ojajuni’s story is not the only one concerning the gradual take over the country’s landscape by suicide. There are so many of them.

“My dear children, do bear with me. I am sorry for towing the path I have just taken. Your mother turned me to a laughing stock in the community. She has slept with almost all my friends and neighbours in the name of getting money to maintain her ostentatious lifestyle. She is always quick to tell people that she is the breadwinner of the home and constantly making me to change accommodation to avoid shame. Now that I have been disengaged from work and I am down with prostate, she will likely do worse. So, let me go to further save my face. Goodbye, we shall all meet in heaven if there is a place like that,” Wilson Enake, a 68-year-old man who lived in Agege, a suburb of Lagos, wrote in his suicide note.

Enake was not the only one in this hideous crime. Angela Obasi, a secretary in a private company in Aba, was gang-raped while returning from work one evening. After she was discharged from hospital where she was treated, she took her life a few days later, saying she could stand the shame and stigma. Recently, a 19-year-old student identified as Timilehin took her life in Ikorodu, Lagos, after scoring 190 in the 2025 UTME examination.

The score being lower than the previous one she got in the same examination held last year, the young lady believed that with such low score she would not be admitted into the university for her dreamed course and so she took her life. Allen Freeman, a Delta State-based thrift collector, killed himself because he could not recover the over N30million he loaned to some of his clients. Charles Ocheche, an Ebonyi State-based auto mechanic and a father of six children, killed himself because he impregnated his mother-in-law and two of his teenage daughters.

There was also the case of Aliu Danladi, a Kaduna State-based trader, who killed himself because he was epileptic and had spent huge sums of money for treatment but to no avail. Recently, he had an attack at the market where he was doing his business. When he overcame the attack, he killed himself a week after owing to shame, especially as some of his fellow traders and customers who witnessed the scene had begun to avoid him.

The list of causalities that have walked this lonely and devastating route is as long as one could imagine.
This socially maladjusted behavior that is becoming a threat in the country is not peculiar to Nigeria and Nigerians. It has become a global phenomenon, and many countries, including advanced societies, have begun to establish more counselling centres aside from equipping their health and mental facilities to handle the rising cases of suicide..

On September 10 of every year, the international community observes the World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD). The event themed ‘Changing the narrative’ is meant to encourage people to engage in open and honest discussions about suicide and suicidal behavior. Also the day has been set aside since 2003 to boost awareness of suicide behavior and provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent it around the world. The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) collaborates with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) to host World Suicide Prevention Day.

According to the WHO’s Mental Health Atlas released in 2014, no low-income country reported having a national suicide prevention strategy, while less than 10 per cent of lower-middle income countries, and almost a third of upper-middle and high-income countries had plans against it.

Owing to the unusual attitude of the victims, who put on façade appearance in what they do either by being hyperactive in their social interactions with people or by looking remorseful and withdrawn among friends and within a social circle where they had earlier played prominent roles, they evade immediate detection by those who are close to them. With this unsuspecting look, many people, including some youth, had under the noses of their parents, friends and family members committed this condemnable act. The victims who cut across different strata of the society see suicide as a means of escape from some terrible situations in which they unexpectedly found themselves.

Suicide, often the result of deep emotional pain and overwhelming stress, is a mental health condition followed by depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or feelings of hopelessness and helplessness.

At a lecture organised by The Still Waters Mental Health Foundation and held at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Adesanmi Akinsulore, a professor and consultant psychiatrist at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, revealed Nigeria’s position as being the sixth on the global list of countries with the highest suicide rates. According to him, men account for 79 per cent of suicides cases across the globe, while women are more prone to suicidal thoughts.

Describing suicide as a major public health concern, the don disclosed that it was the third leading cause of death globally among individuals within the age bracket of 15 to 29 in 2021. The expert said there is always one suicide for every 25 attempts.

According to Macrotrends, a research platform in Nigeria, the country’s suicide rate, though highly under reported, fluctuates owing to what it describes as the nation’s economic challenge and invariable matrixes within the youth population, either in the tertiary institutions or in the streets.

The body disclosed that suicide rate based on the number of deaths per 100,000 people in the country was 4.44 per cent in 2018; 4.41 in 2019, and 4.56 in 2020. There was a shocker last year when the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, at an event to mark the 2024 World Suicide Prevention Day, revealed that Nigeria’s suicide rate had risen to 12.9 per cent. He added that even the data was not a true reflection of the actual prevalence rate in the country as suicide is under-reported because the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

Linking suicide to mental health conditions, particularly depression and disorders linked to alcohol use, Pate noted that many suicidal actions happen impulsively in moments of crisis when there is a breakdown in the ability to deal with life stresses such as financial problems, relationship break-ups or chronic pain and illness.

Global reports and even that of the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicate that suicide is mostly high among young people aged between 15 and 29 years, and has remained the fourth leading cause of death among them, accounting for 40 per cent of the total.

A Lagos-based psychiatrist, Dr Wemimo Adetunji who spoke on what predispose people to committing suicide stated that young people, especially those within the age bracket of 15 and 29 years are particularly affected because they are not yet financially stable and many of them are unemployed and cannot even fend for themselves lest their parents. The younger ones that are still in school face challenges, including bullying, meeting parents’/guardians’ high expectations, academic burden, peer pressure, and fear of failure, that are building up stress and anxiety in their lives, and also exacerbating the feelings of hopelessness and despair.

Those in this group, she revealed, are also prone to living loud, being exposed to hard drugs and other substances which are easily affordable in the streets. Some of these substances could make them to hallucinate, fall into depression or develop low self-esteem, among other dangers that come with their use.

The psychiatrist who stressed that depression, feelings of isolation, abuse, anxiety and hopelessness and trauma, among other mental issues, can increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours in young citizens called for a support system that is inclusive of young people and will make them feel loved and be open to express themselves in their own ways.

Similarly, the Counselor of Christ The King Catholic College, Odolewu, Ijebu, Ogun State, Adeniran Jide Patrick, noted that many young people can be saved from this self-destructive act if only parents/guardians make themselves available for their children/wards, spend quality time with them to build lasting values, create safe and supportive spaces for them to share their feelings and concerns, as well as teach them to appreciate the fact that to seek help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Patrick enjoined parents/guardians or caregivers to desist from judging young people harshly or excessively criticizing them for things done wrong, adding that parents should get professional help early from a counselor or psychologist if their child begins to show signs of depression, anxiety or emotional distress.

He described suicide as a sign that a victim cannot handle pressure, and urged parents to limit their wards exposure to social media and entertainment contents that promote violence, self-harm or depression, saying they should rather teach emotional resilience early in life so that as the children grow, they would be able to stand disappointments, rejection, failure and also handle the challenges of life.

According to Dr Festus Ikolo of Delta State University, Abaraka, over 90 per cent of young persons who commit suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder, especially a depressive disorder or substance abuse disorder. He stated that male undergraduates are four to six times more likely to die by suicide, using different means including gunshots and hanging, than their female counterpart. Female undergraduates are two to three times more likely to attempt suicide, using nonlethal means, than male counterpart.

Ikolo advised parents to create safe and supportive environment where young people can feel comfortable to discuss their feelings, not shouting at them to keep quiet before elders as done in some traditions.

‘This should start from the home and early too, because such trainings help build confidence and emotional balance in the child before he/she grows to adulthood.’ The don also urged parents to regularly monitor their child/ward to know whenever there are changes in their mood, behaviour or mental health so as to begin to seek professional help. Some of these changes, he observed, include bullying, substance abuse or mental health conditions.

The expert noted that some communities have unknowingly placed so much pressure on the youths, the pressure of getting married, having children, and getting rich. ‘Those who cannot bear these pressures commit suicide. They see it as an easy way out of the pressure.’

Are There Signs To Note?
According to Patrick, there are signs, but most times, people around suicide victims are overwhelmed to notice some of the signs or even listen to them until the act has been carried out.

“You will hear some of them constantly talking about someone dying or they, themselves, having the feeling of taking their own life or giving up on life, or having that feeling of hopelessness. There are those in another group that would withdraw from social activities, increase substance use or engage in reckless behavior, ignore their personal and good hygiene, and be involved in self-harming behaviours like inflicting injuries on themselves, among others. Persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, loss of interest in activities, hobbies or things that were once enjoyed, giving away prized possessions or making arrangements for someone else to care for dependents, getting poor grades in school and uncontrolled anger. Some of them dress in their outing best to visit friends and relatives to say goodbye or even move around in a devil-may-care manner. There must surely be some behavioral changes which many people do not take note of,” he said.

Dr Susan Idowu Gomez, a psychiatrist, stated that observing these changes in persons, including young people attempting to commit suicide, and acting fast to stop them could save lives. She noted that there are different kinds of psychotherapy that are effective in treating people nursing suicide thoughts, adding that with the right medications, the symptoms, including depression and anxiety, can be effectively handled.

Despite the various community health awareness programmes and lectures on mental health, as well as on suicide, drug abuse and the use of dangerous substances, some people still believe that there are spiritual forces that influence humans to commit suicide.

In his response to this, Bishop Sola Adetunji of Endtime Power Ministries, Egbeda, Lagos, said Satan is crafty and can manipulate humans, especially those that have created an inroad for the spirit to come into their lives. Citing cases in the Bible from King Saul’s armour bearer to Judas Iscariot, Adetunji noted that the people involved live a dubious life and work against God’s divine will for other people’s lives. According to him, when evil spirit enters a man, he will begin to hear strange voices and commands that will make him do what he would not ordinarily do, which is the case of suicide victims. They hear strange voices that manipulate them to kill themselves.

Ogba Kalu, a traditionalist and a shaman, stated that traditional medicine is all about herbs and spiritualism. ‘With a voodoo doll, an individual’s effigy or picture, mirror or even a basket of water, a spiritualist can control anybody, irrespective of where he/she resides on this earth, to do whatever the spiritualist wants him/her to do. So, an individual could be manipulated to run into a moving vehicle, jump into a river, hang him/herself, or be obsessed to drugs or get into any evil act, yet no one will know of it, except those initiated in the craft to see or identify a manipulated person.”

For Gomez, there is no medical or scientific proof that casting a spell on someone could make the person to commit suicide. Rather, most suicides are linked to mental health issues, including trauma, drug abuse, life pressures, depression, and bullying, not by direct supernatural manipulation.

To Patrick, that someone hears voices or strange command to act contrary might be a case of psychosis or a mental health condition, and such a person needs medical and emotional help. He advised that while praying to their gods for healing, spiritualists should not forget the roles of medical doctors, counselors and community support.

The Nigerian state does not mete out any serious punishment to suicide though it sees the attempt as a misdemeanor punishable by law. Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act and Section 231 of the Penal Code (applicable in northern region) apportion imprisonment of up to one year or a fine or both to anyone who attempts to commit suicide. Some scholars are even of the view that the Nigerian Constitution (Section 33) could be interpreted to mean that the law grants an individual the right to die in certain circumstances, such as euthanasia or assisted suicide.

Owing to the loose handling of Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act and the rising cases of suicide in Lagos State, the state government a few years ago came up with a law that criminalises the bad behaviour. Section 235 of the Lagos States Criminal Law reads: ‘Any person who attempts to take his/her own life shall be guilty of a simple offence and the court shall make a hospitalisation order.” The punishment was later amended from terms of imprisonment to hospitalisation. The aim of the law is to deter occurrence.

But Barrister Tony Ibinga, a Lagos-based lawyer, observed that the law deals with only attempted suicide, which is a mere symptom of suicide. According to him, suicide is a mental disorder that needs medical attention. The Lagos State law leaves the real issue, which should be removal of the causes of suicide, to deal with the attempted suicide. Ibinga noted that criminalising suicide would amount to aggravating the situation which made the victim to want to commit suicide in the first place and that the result of this could be traumatic. He further argued that a mentally dysfunctional person is a sick person that needs medical care, sympathy and treatment, not punishment.

Ibinga stated that the law may have lessened the spate of suicide in public spaces such as the Third Mainland Bridge and the beaches, among others, it has not and would not stop suicide because there are various factors that could make a person to commit suicide and until such factors are properly dealt with suicide would not stop.

On ways to minimise if not eradicate this devastating situation in the society, the Director, Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike called on all stakeholders, including government agencies, to shift their narratives from focusing solely on the tragedy of suicide to how to prevent it, and from taboos, stigma and discrimination to empathy and positive cultural change. The expert also urged shifting of focus from punishment and ostracism to lending helping hands and support to the less privileged in the society. Anyaike admonished the media to shift from sensational reporting to sensitive reporting guided by proper ethical standards. According to him, changing how we talk about suicide can break down the barriers that prevent people from reaching out for support. Stakeholders, including caregivers, should create a culture where mental health challenges are met with compassion rather than judgment and a situation where every person feels valued and supported.

For Owosibo Olawale Opeyemi, a sociologist and human resources manager, with the right strategies, support systems and resources, stakeholders and all agents of socialisation can work together to come up with and implement the right policies, beginning from the family level and moving to the workplaces and educational institutions, among others.

Opeyemi called on parents, teachers and even those in one level of authority or the other to cease judging or condemning people with suicidal thoughts, noting that suicide is a cry for help, not a desire to die because many survivors just wanted to be heard and their pain to stop. ‘And if we listen, care, and act early, we can save their lives.’

The public health official urged religious organisations to prepare their messages to give hope and make people see the negative effect of taking one’s life, instead of preaching materialism and projecting the wealthy as the most divinely favoured person. ‘Such moral-killing messages could be a contributory factor to suicide.’

He enjoined Nigerians to take away the age-long stigma of seeing people suffering mental illness as possessed by evil spirit and should be avoided. ‘Stigmatising survivors and their family members is not helpful. A survivor whose ego is bruised as a result of stigma may likely commit suicide again,’ he said.

Also disclosing that many suicides are linked to drug abuse, unemployment, poverty, debt and relationship breakdowns, Dr Abiodun Dauda, an educational counselor and proprietor of an education consult, called on the government to create an enabling environment for businesses to strive, especially the micro and small enterprises, to encourage many young people who are not employed to establish small outlets and be self-reliant.

Dauda called on stakeholders to collaborate with government agencies to implement policies that would limit access to lethal items, including toxic substances such aspesticide, certain medications or drugs, and firearms which are ready weapons for suicide. There should be a re-jig of the secondary school and tertiary institutions curricular to accommodate problem-solving approaches, endurance tasking skills, stress management, and emotion regulation skills.

He commended the Lagos State government for enacting laws that check suicide and for deploying security operatives to monitor suicide points, including the bridges, lagoon, and some major highways. He urged other states to do the same. ‘The rising cases of suicide in the country should be the concern of all,’ Dauda said.