ABUJA, Nigeria — Senate President Godswill Akpabio has stirred controversy after declaring that Nigerians who attempt suicide and survive could be sent to prison, as the Senate considered a bill seeking to decriminalise attempted suicide and establish a comprehensive framework for suicide prevention.

Akpabio made the remark during Tuesday's plenary while Senator Asuquo was presenting the objectives of the proposed legislation, which seeks to replace criminal punishment for attempted suicide with medical treatment, psychological support and rehabilitation.

The Senate President's statement came during a discussion about the potential consequences of retaining criminal penalties for people who survive suicide attempts.

Responding to the senator's explanation, Akpabio questioned whether the proposed legislation was intended to prevent people from completing suicide attempts.

Senator Asuquo answered in the affirmative but explained that criminalising attempted suicide could have dangerous consequences by encouraging people experiencing suicidal crises to ensure they die rather than survive and face prosecution.

“The fact that you can go to jail and go to prison for attempting and surviving suicide ensures that the person attempting suicide will do everything within his power to ensure that he kills himself,” the senator said.

Akpabio, however, maintained that attempted suicide remained a criminal offence under the existing legal framework.

“But that's what we are saying now, that as far as we are concerned, we are saying that suicide is a crime for now. And therefore, if you attempt it, you better succeed. If you don't succeed, we will send you to prison,” the Senate President said.

He subsequently suggested that people who survived suicide attempts could be imprisoned and later rehabilitated.

The exchange has drawn attention to the central question confronting lawmakers: whether people experiencing suicidal crises should be treated as criminals or as individuals in need of urgent medical and psychological intervention.

Bill Seeks To Replace Punishment With Medical Care

Presenting the proposed legislation, Senator Asuquo explained that the bill goes beyond removing criminal penalties and seeks to establish a coordinated national framework for suicide prevention.

Under the proposed arrangement, survivors of suicide attempts would receive appropriate clinical assessment, treatment, referrals and continuing support rather than face automatic prosecution and imprisonment.

Asuquo argued that police stations and correctional facilities should not be the default destinations for individuals requiring urgent mental health care.

“A police station or correctional facility should not be the default destination for a person who requires urgent clinical care,” he said.

The proposed framework would also support coordinated suicide prevention services, including crisis helplines, referral systems and follow-up care for survivors.

Supporters of the proposed change argue that the threat of imprisonment could discourage people experiencing suicidal thoughts from seeking help or disclosing their struggles to family members, medical professionals and other trusted individuals.

They also contend that a system focused on treatment and rehabilitation could provide a more effective response to suicidal crises than criminal prosecution.

Debate Raises Questions About Nigeria's Approach To Mental Health

The exchange has placed the treatment of suicide survivors at the centre of a broader debate about mental health, criminal justice and the responsibilities of government institutions.

The bill's proponents argue that surviving a suicide attempt should lead to access to medical care and support, not the additional burden of possible imprisonment.

They maintain that people experiencing severe emotional distress require timely intervention, professional assessment and sustained assistance to reduce the risk of further harm.

Akpabio's remarks, meanwhile, underscored the position he expressed during the plenary that attempted suicide remains a criminal offence under the existing legal framework, pending any change in the law.

The Senate's consideration of the proposed legislation could therefore have significant implications for how law enforcement agencies, hospitals, mental health professionals and other institutions respond to suicide attempts in Nigeria.

What Happens Next?

The outcome of the Senate's consideration of the bill was not immediately clear.

If enacted, the proposed legislation would shift the legal response to attempted suicide towards prevention, medical treatment and rehabilitation.

The debate has also raised a fundamental question for lawmakers and the public: should a person who survives a suicide attempt face the possibility of imprisonment, or should the priority be to provide immediate care and help prevent another crisis?

As the legislative process continues, the bill's progress and the Senate's eventual position will determine whether Nigeria moves towards the proposed framework for suicide prevention and support for survivors.