Senate advances bill to decriminalise attempted suicide 

The Senate connected Tuesday passed for 2nd speechmaking a measure seeking to decriminalise attempted termination and found a nationalist model for prevention and rehabilitation.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South), seeks to code inconsistencies successful Nigerian laws, nether which the National Mental Health Act treats attempted termination arsenic a psychiatric exigency requiring treatment, portion Section 327 of the Criminal Code and Section 231 of the Penal Code criminalise the act.

Leading the debate, Ekpenyong said criminalisation discourages radical from seeking help, forces families to conceal termination attempts and distorts data. He warned that it could propulsion distressed persons to guarantee their attempts are fatal to debar prosecution.

“At the bosom of this measure is simply a elemental question: erstwhile a Nigerian survives a termination attempt, should the archetypal effect of the authorities beryllium prosecution oregon protection?” helium said.

The measure proposes replacing jailhouse presumption with mandatory assessment, referral, attraction and follow-up. It besides provides for situation helplines, grooming for constabulary officers, teachers and wellness workers, nationalist acquisition and a nationalist information system.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, however, opposed decriminalisation, arguing that it could enco...