Senate President Godswill Akpabio has opposed moves to decriminalise attempted suicide in Nigeria, insisting that survivors should face imprisonment rather than receive medical treatment and rehabilitation.
Akpabio spoke on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, as the Senate passed a bill seeking to decriminalise attempted suicide for second reading.
During the debate, he declared: “As far as we are concerned, we are saying that suicide is a crime for now. Therefore, if you attempt it, you better succeed. If you don’t succeed, we will send you to prison.”
He later reinforced his position, stating, “If you attempt it and don’t succeed, we will jail you.”
The bill, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, who represents Cross River South, seeks to replace criminal punishment with medical assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and support for survivors.
Ekpenyong argued that people who survive suicide attempts should be treated as individuals experiencing a mental health crisis rather than prosecuted as criminals.
