A man who attempted to take his own life because he could no longer cope with the mounting pressures of life in Nigeria’s depressed economy, is faced with yet another challenge, as he has been arrested by police in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, for attempted suicide, which is a crime under the law.
The man, identified as Shuaibu Alhaji Yushau, had on Monday climbed a 120ft telecommunications cell site mast at ASO Radio in the Katampe area of the Federal Capital Territory, threatening to take his life.
He eventually changed his mind following pleas and persuasion from emergency responders.
He claimed to have been observing the mast for about a week before deciding to climb it. “The suspect is presently in police custody and stable condition,” spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, Josephine Adeh said in a late Monday statement.
Adeh said, “Further development will be communicated in due course”.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 700,000 suicides occur across the world every year. For every completed suicide, there are at least 20 unsuccessful attempts.
WHO further states that about 79% of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries although suicide rates are highest in high income countries.
An online publication, The Conversation, observes that in no fewer than 20 countries, suicide is a crime. But that has never succeeded in eliminating it. Research findings show reservations as to whether legal or religious sanctions can actually serve to prevent suicides. While moral and religious objections to suicide may reduce suicidal behaviour, legal sanctions hardly have any discernible effect. For instance, in the UK, suicide rates did not increase after it was decriminalised.
In Nigeria, the legal position is that suicide is not a crime but attempted suicide is. Section 327 in the Criminal Code Act (which applies to southern Nigeria) states that:
Any person who attempts to kill himself is guilty of a misdemeanour, and is liable to imprisonment for one year.
Similarly, section 231 of the penal code (applicable to northern Nigeria) asserts that:
Whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such offence, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine or with both.
Despite the criminalisation of attempted suicide in Nigeria, the rate of suicide is still considerably high at 6.9 per 100,000 of the population in 2019. This translates to roughly 7,019 people a year. The current rate is less than the average global rate of 9.0 per 100,000. While the suicide rate in Africa appears to be lower than the global average, it is still worrying.
The impact of criminalising attempted suicide is said to be multi-dimensional, as it turns a distressed human being into a criminal. Research has shown that about 90% of those who attempt suicide have a mental health problem. A considerable proportion – 20.8% to 35.8% – of those would be suffering from depression.
Criminalising attempted suicide could further impel the person to attempt suicide again so as not to suffer the legal consequences, it is said.
It is also believed that it distracts society from focusing on care and treatment. Instead, it directs resources towards punishment, which has not been shown to have any significant deterrent effect.
