The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, has pledged to reassess the law that determines sentencing for suicide attempts.
He made this pledge when he met with a delegation from the Asido Foundation, a non-governmental organization that promotes mental health advocacy and works to enhance awareness, reduce stigma, and empower individuals with mental disorders and their families.
This information was shared in a statement released to the press on Sunday in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the President on Communications & Publicity, Office of the AGF, Kamarudeen Ogundele.
According to the AGF, health is a priority area for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The law is something we have to reconsider, especially if it's clear that the offenders are not in the right state of mind. What they need is compassion, treatment, and support to eliminate this kind of situation from society.
“But whatever we do is not mandatory for the states. So, I will bring the issue to the Body of Attorneys General,” Fagbemi said.
He committed to addressing the issues surrounding the Mental Health Act with his colleagues in the Federal Ministry of Health.
Earlier, the founder of Asido, Dr. Jibril Abdulmalik, asked for the AGF's assistance in reviewing the law that sentences people for attempted suicide and in implementing the Mental Health Act signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2023.
Abdulmalik mentioned that medical evidence had revealed that globally, 80-90 percent of those who attempted suicide had underlying mental illness, particularly depression.
“It is because of a sense of hopelessness that makes them get to the edge where they think they are better off dying.
“In that situation, what they need is help and treatment, not punishment and incarceration. We know the workload is heavy for our judicial officers. We don’t want them overburdened with cases that should ordinarily go to the hospitals,” he added.
