Ekpenyong Backs Bill to Decriminalise Attempted Suicide

The Senator representing Cross River South, Asuquo Ekpenyong, has reaffirmed his commitment to the Suicide Prevention Bill currently before the Senate.

The bill, which scaled its first reading in February, seeks to decriminalise attempted suicide and establish a comprehensive framework for mental health support and suicide prevention in Nigeria.

Ekpenyong restated his support in a statement released on Sunday and signed by Prof. Taiwo Lateef Sheikh, convener of the Suicide Prevention Advocacy Group and Continental Representative for LifeLine International.

The Senator made this known when he received members of the Suicide Prevention Advocacy Working Group in Abuja. The coalition, which includes psychiatrists, mental health practitioners, legal experts, civil society groups, and advocates, visited him to commend his sponsorship of the bill and to brief him on activities planned ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.

Prof. Sheikh, a former President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, stressed that criminalising attempted suicide discourages help-seeking.