SENATE PRESIDENT GODSWILL AKPABIO DEFENDS REMARKS ON DECRIMINALIZATION OF SUICIDE BILL AMID DEMANDS FOR PUBLIC APOLOGY FROM PSYCHIATRISTS

Legislative leader maintains firm stance on criminalizing attempted suicide while professional medical bodies warn that punitive measures deepen mental health stigma and discourage distress intervention

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has defended his controversial comments made during floor debates on a proposed bill seeking to decriminalize attempted suicide, rejecting demands for a public apology issued by mental health practitioners and civil rights organizations.

The controversy stems from legislative discussions regarding the legal framework governing suicide attempts, during which Akpabio argued that surviving a suicide attempt should continue to attract custodial punishment under national statutes.

In response to his statements, professional bodies, including mental health associations and medical experts, urged the Senate President to tender an unreserved apology, warning that framing suicide survivors as criminals reinforces severe social stigma and deters individuals in psychological distress from seeking life-saving medical care.

The medical experts emphasized that individuals who survive suicide attempts suffer from severe psychological conditions that require urgent therapeutic intervention, clinical rehabilitation, and social support networks rather than incarceration or legal prosecution.

Defending his position, Akpabio cautioned against politically motivated interpretations of legislative debates, saying his comments reflected broader concerns about religious sensitivities, national security, and the preventive role of existing legal deterrents.

The Senate has since referred the disputed legislation to the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, along with the Committee on Health, for detailed review and public hearings before returning it to the full chamber for further consideration.