Senate Moves To Decriminalise Attempted Suicide, Backs Rehabilitation Bill

The Senate has advanced a bill seeking to decriminalise attempted suicide in Nigeria and establish a legal framework for suicide prevention, mental health treatment and the rehabilitation of survivors.

The Suicide Prevention Bill 2026, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, representing Cross River South, scaled second reading during Tuesday’s plenary in Abuja following a debate on whether people who survive suicide attempts should face prosecution or receive medical and psychological support.

Leading the debate, Ekpenyong said the proposed legislation sought to resolve the contradiction between existing criminal laws, which punish attempted suicide, and the National Mental Health Act, which recognises it as a psychiatric emergency requiring immediate intervention.

He challenged his colleagues to reconsider the country’s approach to people who attempt suicide, arguing that criminal prosecution could discourage vulnerable individuals from seeking help.

“At the heart of this bill is a simple question: When a Nigerian survives a suicide attempt, should the first response of the state be prosecution or protection?” he asked.

Ekpenyong said Sections 327 of the Criminal Code and 231 of the Penal Code criminalise attempted suicide, despite growing recognition of the role of mental health conditions in suicidal behaviour.

According to him, maintaining criminal penalties could discourage people experiencing suicidal thoughts from seeking help, encourage families to conceal suicide attempts and delay access to medical intervention.

“By supporting its second reading, this Senate will affirm that suicide prevention is a national public health responsibility, and that a person in acute distress should be helped to recover rather than punished for surviving,” he said.

The senator warned that the fear of prosecution could have dangerous consequences, arguing that people who attempt suicide might become reluctant to seek help if they feared imprisonment after surviving.

He maintained that removing criminal penalties would not amount to endorsing suicide or excusing those who encourage or assist others to take their lives.

“Decriminalising an attempt does not legalise or encourage suicide. Neither does it excuse anyone who procures, encourages, or assists any other person to take his or her life,” Ekpenyong said.

The sponsor said the proposed legislation went beyond decriminalisation by establishing a framework for prevention, early intervention, treatment and long-term support for people at risk of suicide.

He explained that the bill would provide for crisis helplines, clear referral pathways, follow-up care for survivors, public education and training for healthcare workers, law enforcement officers, teachers and emergency responders.

It also seeks to strengthen data collection, research and surveillance to help authorities understand the scale of the problem, identify vulnerable groups and develop effective prevention strategies.

Ekpenyong said people who survive suicide attempts should receive appropriate medical assessment, treatment and continuing support rather than be taken to police stations or correctional facilities as the default response.

He urged lawmakers to support the legislation, stressing that suicide prevention required coordinated action across the health, education, justice and social welfare sectors.

Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North, seconded the motion for the bill’s second reading but questioned how legislation could effectively prevent people from taking their own lives.

He asked the sponsor to provide further clarification on the bill’s objectives and the practical measures it proposed to prevent suicide.

Nwoko’s intervention prompted further discussion among lawmakers on the relationship between mental health, criminal responsibility and the state’s obligation to protect human life.

Other senators supported the bill, arguing that suicidal behaviour could be associated with depression and other mental health challenges requiring professional intervention.

Speaking in support Adedayo Adeyeye (Ekiti South) who backed the proposal said people who survived suicide attempts needed treatment rather than detention.

He argued that sending such individuals to police stations or prisons would not address the underlying conditions that led to their actions.

He called on the Senate to support the removal of criminal penalties to enable survivors to seek medical care without fear of prosecution.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele raised concerns about the legal implications of amending the existing criminal justice framework, particularly the application of federal legislation across the states.

He noted that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act required adoption by state Houses of Assembly for application within their respective jurisdictions, raising questions about the nationwide reach of proposed amendments.

Bamidele urged lawmakers to consider the legal implications carefully to ensure that any reform achieved its intended purpose.

Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, commended Ekpenyong for bringing the issue before the Senate, describing it as an important subject that deserved wider public and professional debate.

Ningi said the bill’s second reading would allow medical professionals, legal experts and other stakeholders to contribute to discussions on suicide prevention and the treatment of survivors.

He argued that people who attempt suicide should not automatically be regarded as criminals without consideration of the circumstances surrounding their actions.

According to him, the proposed legislation would provide an opportunity to examine the relationship between mental health and criminal law before the Senate reaches a final decision.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio also weighed in on the debate, highlighting the need to consider the relationship between federal legislation, state laws and the constitutional framework governing criminal justice.

Following the debate, the Senate passed the bill for second reading and referred it to the relevant committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, as well as Health, for further legislative consideration.

The committees are expected to examine the proposed decriminalisation of attempted suicide, the rehabilitation framework and the legal changes required to strengthen suicide prevention in Nigeria.

The bill will undergo further scrutiny, including consideration of its legal and institutional implications, before proceeding to subsequent legislative stages.