The Federal Government has been urged to stop criminalizing suicide in the nation by no fewer than 41 health civil society organizations.
Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act, 2004, declares that "anyone who attempts to commit suicide is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to imprisonment for one year."
The World Health Organization was against this, the groups complained, adding that criminalizing the conduct does not allow for the provision of the requisite mental health care for the individual.
The group's founder, Chime Asonye of Nigerian Mental Health, stated that governments should start treating suicide as a public health issue.
Asonye said, “The World Health Organization notes that criminalizing suicide discourages people from seeking help for their mental health, which would be counterproductive to the effective dispensation of the Mental Health Act.
“Suicide should be treated as a public health issue, not a criminal one. Individuals who try to take their life are psychologically vulnerable and need support, not detention or jail. The public is encouraged to join thousands of others in adding their voice to repeal these laws by signing our petition.”
Asonye also advocated for the implementation of community-based strategies for the delivery of mental health services, including the inclusion of mental health assistance as a service provided at primary healthcare facilities across the nation.
The Mental Health Act needed to be domesticated, he continued, and it should be approved at the state level because state governments play a crucial role in the provision of healthcare for individuals.
Asonye said, “Currently, only two states Ekiti and Lagos have mental health legislation in the entire nation. The new Mental Health Act is the first legislative reform adopted in the field since the country’s Independence.
“The regulation establishes human rights protections for those with mental health conditions, such as banning discrimination in housing, employment, medical, and other social services. It guarantees that those receiving treatments have the right to participate in the formulation of their medical plans and cannot have forced treatment, seclusion, or other methods of restraint without appropriate safeguards.
“It also improves care, enhances the management of medical services, enshrines dignity and access to information, and ensures quality mental health services comparable to those with physical illnesses. Previous legislation was outdated and inhumane, based on a regulatory regime that had colonial origins.”