ADC rejects jail term for suicide attempts, condemns Akpabio’s ‘seven virgins’ remark

Senate President Godswill Akpabio reportedly made the “seven virgins” comment during a Senate debate on attempted suicide. The remark, made amid laughter, was criticised for bringing religious stereotypes into a discussion about protecting human life. The African Democratic Congress called it careless, insensitive and trivialising.

Akpabio also reportedly supported imprisonment as a penalty for attempted suicide. That position places failed attempts within a punitive framework. The ADC argues that survivors may instead be experiencing severe psychological distress and need care. It says prosecution treats people in crisis as offenders rather than patients needing help.

The controversy highlights a wider dispute over Nigeria’s suicide laws. The ADC wants lawmakers to replace punishment with prevention, counselling, treatment and support. It warns that imprisonment threats could discourage people from disclosing suicidal thoughts or seeking assistance. The precise effect of the National Suicide Prevention Bill will depend on its provisions and the legislative outcome.

The National Suicide Prevention Bill is a proposed Nigerian law being considered by the Senate. The article does not list all its provisions, but identifies its purpose as preventing suicide. Its debate matters because lawmakers were confronting how the legal system should respond to people who attempt to take their own lives.

The discussion included whether imprisonment should remain a penalty for failed attempts. Akpabio reportedly supported retaining punishment, while the African Democratic Congress urged lawmakers to treat suicide attempts as mental-health concerns. The party called for prevention, counselling, treatment and support instead of prosecution.

The bill sits within wider calls to strengthen Nigeria’s mental-health services and review suicide laws. Its precise legal effects remain uncertain because they depend on the bill’s provisions and the legislative process. The ADC says protecting human life should be the central purpose of any suicide-prevention legislation.

Nigeria’s current legal framework treats attempting suicide as a criminal offence in the regions covered by two different codes. In southern Nigeria, Section 231 of the Criminal Code makes attempting to kill oneself a misdemeanour punishable by imprisonment. In northern Nigeria, Section 327 of the Penal Code also criminalises attempted suicide.

These provisions mean that a person who survives an attempt may face the justice system rather than immediate medical support. The article does not state the exact prison terms under either section. It does establish that imprisonment is available as a punishment, which is central to the political dispute surrounding the Senate debate.

Mental-health advocates argue that criminal penalties can increase stigma around suicidal distress. They say punishment may discourage people from seeking timely medical assistance. The ADC therefore urges lawmakers to review these laws and adopt prevention, counselling, treatment and support as the main response to suicidal thoughts and attempts.

Two major Nigerian legal codes mentioned in the article criminalise attempted suicide. Section 231 of the Criminal Code applies in southern Nigeria. Section 327 of the Penal Code applies in northern Nigeria. Together, they show that criminal penalties exist across both broad regional legal jurisdictions.

The key mechanism is statutory punishment. Under the southern Criminal Code, attempting to kill oneself is described as a misdemeanour punishable by imprisonment. The article says the northern Penal Code also criminalises attempted suicide, though it does not provide a specific punishment or prison term for Section 327.

This legal split is part of a larger national debate. The ADC describes the criminalisation as a colonial legacy and wants it abolished. Mental-health advocates argue that penalties can deepen stigma and deter help-seeking. The Senate bill offers an opportunity to reconsider the balance between punishment and public-health support, but its final implications remain unresolved.

When people experiencing suicidal thoughts fear prosecution or imprisonment, they may hide their distress. That can prevent them from contacting family, counsellors, health workers or other sources of support. The article says mental-health advocates have long warned that criminal penalties discourage people from seeking timely medical assistance.

The key mechanism is fear. A person may avoid disclosing suicidal thoughts or seeking treatment because survival could lead to punishment. The ADC says this threat could leave a suicidal person feeling that the only choices are death or imprisonment. It argues that such a position does not discourage suicide and may encourage it.

This risk strengthens calls for a compassionate response. The ADC wants prevention, counselling, treatment and support for people in crisis or those who survive attempts. The article presents this as part of wider efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s mental-health services and replace stigma and punishment with timely care.

Critics describe criminalisation as a colonial-era legacy because they say the laws come from a period when people in profound psychological distress were treated as offenders. The ADC argues that this approach is outdated. It says people who survive suicide attempts should be regarded as human beings needing care, not punished for experiencing a crisis.

The article’s key comparison is historical. The ADC says that countries which handed Nigeria these laws have long abolished them. It uses that change to argue that Nigeria should also reform its inherited legal framework. The criticism is therefore about both the laws’ origins and their continued mismatch with modern mental-health thinking.

The article does not name the other countries or give dates for their reforms. It reports growing advocacy for a public-health approach in Nigeria. That approach would focus on prevention and treatment, while the Senate debate will determine whether punitive provisions are retained or changed.

A public-health approach focuses on protecting life by addressing suicidal thoughts and attempts through care. It treats people in crisis as needing support rather than punishment. The ADC says lawmakers should make prevention, counselling, treatment and mental-health support central to suicide legislation.

A punitive approach uses criminal law as its main response. Under the laws described in the article, attempted suicide can lead to imprisonment. The ADC argues that this mechanism can deepen stigma and make people afraid to seek help. A public-health system instead aims to make disclosure and timely assistance safer for vulnerable people.

The difference matters because the response may affect whether people reach care after a crisis. The article says Nigeria faces wider calls to strengthen mental-health services and review its laws. The Senate’s bill could provide an opportunity for change, although its final impact depends on its wording and the legislative process.