Suicide attempt: Aproko Doctor urges Akpabio to treat survivors as patients, not criminals
Popular Nigerian medical doctor and health educator, Dr Chinonso Fidelis Egemba, popularly known as Aproko Doctor, has urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio to support the decriminalisation of attempted suicide in Nigeria, arguing that survivors need medical treatment and support rather than imprisonment.
Egemba made the appeal in a video shared on his social media platforms on Thursday evening, following Akpabio’s opposition to a bill seeking to decriminalise attempted suicide and establish a national framework for suicide prevention.
Addressing the Senate President directly, the doctor said his experience treating people who attempted to take their own lives had shown him the emotional pain suffered by patients and their families.
“Sir, that 15-year-old girl who attempted suicide on the hospital bed in the emergency room, is she a criminal? The father who couldn’t face his family anymore, probably because he lost his job and cannot provide for the people he loves, is he a criminal?” he asked.
“Let’s even look at the parents. That mother who is holding her child’s slippers and praying that the police does not come, is she harbouring a criminal, sir? No, sir. They are not criminals. They are patients.”
Egemba said he had treated teenagers, adults, parents and young people who attempted suicide, adding that their families often faced the double burden of worrying about their loved ones’ survival and fearing possible police action.
He warned that the threat of prosecution could discourage people from seeking help and push families and healthcare workers to conceal suicide attempts.
“The family starts to lie. Many health practitioners, in many cases, will start to write other things rather than suicide attempt. Many will write accident,” he said.
According to him, concealing the actual circumstances surrounding a suicide attempt could prevent patients from receiving appropriate treatment for the problems that led to the crisis.
“And guess what happens after that? Nobody gets treated. The medical patient in front of them does not get treated for the actual thing that brought them there. And many times they try again, and the next attempt they usually don’t survive it,” he added.
The doctor also challenged the argument that imprisonment would discourage suicide attempts, saying people experiencing severe emotional distress might not be thinking about the legal consequences of their actions.
“A person who is at that edge is not thinking about prison sentence. They are not afraid of jail, sir. It only stops them from asking for help before and then lying after,” he said.
Egemba compared suicide attempts to other medical emergencies, arguing that survivors should receive urgent medical attention rather than face criminal punishment.
“We don’t arrest a man because he’s having stroke. We don’t. A suicide attempt is a medical emergency,” he said.
Akpabio opposes suicide decriminalisation bill
The appeal follows a debate in the Senate on Tuesday, October 13, when lawmakers passed the Suicide Prevention Bill for second reading despite Akpabio’s opposition to removing criminal penalties for attempted suicide.
According to reports, the bill was sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, representing Cross River South. It seeks to establish a national framework for suicide prevention, decriminalise attempted suicide and provide treatment and rehabilitation for survivors.
During the debate, Akpabio maintained that attempted suicide should remain a criminal offence, arguing that removing the punishment could encourage the act.
“If you attempt suicide, make sure you die. Anyone who attempts and fails will go to jail,” the Senate President said.
The bill, however, seeks to replace imprisonment with medical assessment, referral, treatment, rehabilitation and follow-up care. It also proposes crisis helplines, public education, training for police officers, teachers and healthcare workers, and a national data system to strengthen suicide prevention efforts. The legislation has been referred to the relevant Senate committees on health and judiciary for further consideration, including a public hearing.
Existing laws and proposed reforms
Nigeria’s legal framework on attempted suicide has become a subject of debate because different laws take different approaches to the issue. In its report on the Senate debate, Channels Television explained that Section 327 of the Criminal Code and Section 231 of the Penal Code criminalise attempted suicide, while the National Mental Health Act 2021 provides for supportive care and treatment for people experiencing mental health challenges.
The Federal Executive Council approved the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s position on decriminalising attempted suicide in August 2026, paving the way for the proposed legislative reform.
In a statement published on its official website in September, the ministry said the reform would help replace punishment with care, support and timely intervention. The ministry also stressed that changing the law alone would not be enough, noting the need to strengthen mental health services, promote early intervention and expand access to professional care.
Human rights lawyer Pelumi Olajengbesi, reacting to the issue, also criticised Akpabio’s position, arguing that sending survivors to prison could worsen their distress rather than help them recover. He reacted through his social media handles on October 14.
Urges Akpabio to listen to survivors and experts
Egemba called on Akpabio to meet with psychiatrists, people who have survived suicide attempts and their families before the proposed public hearing. He urged the Senate President to listen to their experiences without cameras or publicity, saying their perspectives could help lawmakers understand the challenges faced by people experiencing severe emotional distress.
“Before that hearing, I want you to go and sit down with psychiatrists. Sit down with the people who have actually survived suicide attempts. Sit with their parents. Listen to them. Don’t bring cameras. Don’t bring cameras. Just listen,” he said.
The doctor also offered to participate in the meeting if invited.
He called on Nigerians to contact their senators and participate in the legislative process, stressing that public engagement was necessary to ensure the proposed reform received adequate attention.
“It’s not enough to just make noise. Call them. Because today it’s someone else. Tomorrow it might be you,” he said.
Criticises stigma surrounding mental health
Beyond his appeal to Akpabio, Egemba urged Nigerians to examine their attitudes towards mental health, arguing that stigma and misconceptions often prevent people from seeking professional help.
He criticised the tendency to dismiss depression and other mental health conditions as spiritual problems or signs of weakness. He cited expressions such as “you are too blessed to be depressed” and the use of “Yaba Left” to refer to the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Yaba, Lagos, as examples of attitudes that contribute to the stigma surrounding mental health conditions.
“The Senate President did not invent that thinking. A lot of us … The thinking is not new. He learned it from us,” he said.
Egemba encouraged Nigerians to check on people who become withdrawn and ask compassionate, direct questions about their emotional well-being.
“When somebody close to you actually goes silent, ask them quietly, ‘Do you think about ending your life?’” he said.
He urged people not to threaten, ridicule or dismiss anyone who opens up about suicidal thoughts, but to support them in accessing professional medical care.
“Pray with them if you want to, but still take them to a doctor. Mental health issues are medical issues,” he added.
The doctor also disclosed that he had experienced mental health challenges himself, saying this had given him some understanding of the pain people could endure. He offered words of encouragement to people struggling with depression, anxiety and other forms of emotional distress, assuring them that they were neither weak nor criminals and that treatment could help them recover.
“You’re not weak. You’re not cursed. You’re not a criminal. I think I need to repeat this: you are not a criminal,” he said.
Egemba added that some of the people he had treated after suicide attempts had grown into adults who were working, laughing and living their lives. He asked Nigerians to consider how different their lives might have been if they had been imprisoned instead of receiving medical attention and support.
“Imagine them being in jail for something that could have been treated,” he said.
