World Suicide Prevention Day: Mental health advocate faults penalties for attempted suicide

As the world marks World Suicide Prevention Day, Nguvu Change leader, Aisha Bubah, has stressed the need for Nigeria to decriminalise suicide attempts in the country.

According to her, treating attempted suicide as a criminal act rather than a public health issue only serves to punish those already suffering.

She noted that every year, thousands of Nigerians battled the silent struggle with mental health; yet, instead of receiving care, support, and empathy, many were forced into isolation by a system that treats suicide attempts as crime.

Suicide is currently illegal in Nigeria and those who survive the attempt face the possibility of legal punishment.

Criminalising suicide, he warned, would not prevent it; instead, it would punish the most vulnerable in the society.

“Criminal penalties for suicide attempts are a clear violation of human rights. Everyone deserves access to healthcare, including mental health services. But when suicide is criminalised, it sends the message that mental health struggles are personal failings or crimes, rather than public health issues that require urgent care.

“Mental health should be treated with the same seriousness as physical health. Imagine if we respond to heart attacks or cancer the way we do to mental health crises by blaming the individual or locking them up. It’s unthinkable. Yet, that’s exactly what happens when suicide is criminalised. Instead of providing adequate care and resources, we punish those in their most vulnerable moments.

“Criminalisation also leads to the underreporting of suicides and violates fundamental human rights, such as equitable access to health and social services as well as protection from discrimination. Decriminalising suicide is essential because it encourages individuals to seek help without fear of legal consequences. Yet, it is a sad fact that in more than 20 countries, including Nigeria, suicide has not yet been decriminalised,” she added.

Bubah, a mental health advocate, is at the forefront of this fight. She has launched an online petition, urging the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) to train primary healthcare workers as lay counsellors for basic mental health support and referrals. She also calls for the establishment of mental health desks and giving mental health training for doctors and nurses at primary healthcare centres.