Suicide more common than imagined ― Stakeholders

The consensus at a community sensitization is that suicide cases are more common than imagined, although they are preventable and the act is still a criminal offence to die by suicide in Nigeria.

Director, Primary Health Care, Ibadan North Health Authority, Dr Monday Famakinwa, speaking at the 2021 Goodworker Ministry International’s World Suicide Day community sensitization at the Ibadan North-East Local government, said suicide is not good, commoner in men, more in ages 30 to 40 years and caused by mental health problems, particularly depression and emotional problems.

According to him, “suicidal ideation can set in due to disruption in some chemicals in the brain. For instance, when going through emotional stress which can be as a result of illness and economic issues and that has caused an intense worry that the person cannot cope with or handle any longer.”

Oyo State Mental Health Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Abodunrin, said signs and symptoms to watch out for in a person with suicidal ideation include severe sadness or moodiness, hopelessness, sleep problems and being withdrawn.

Mrs Abodunrin urged individuals with these signs and symptoms to ask for help just as a protective environment where they cannot get anything to harm themselves needs to be created around them as well as talked with continually.

Special Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on community relations, Mr Olufemi Josiah, stated that ridding communities of illegal drugs is also important to reduce the incidence of suicide in the community.

Mr Josiah quoted the NDLEA saying that there were 11,600 hotspots for hard drugs in Oyo State and anything including crimes and suicide can be committed under the influence of these drugs.

He added “some psychoactive substances alter mental capacity and once people lose their minds, anything can happen. Parents must create awareness about the danger of these substances in their children. There has to be a change in attention from things that can harm them to those that can advance them at the community level to solve a lot of problems.”

Oyo State Attorney General, represented by Senior State Counsel, Oyo State Ministry of Justice, Barrister Olamide Idowu, stated that suicide since the advent of Nigeria’s colonization was criminalized to deter, punish and to keep order in the society.

Executive Director, Goodworker Ministry International, Pastor Tunji Agboola, said it was important to promote stakeholders’ collaboration and self-empowerment to address self-harm and suicide through preventative action while discouraging stigmatization and encouraging people to speak up more.

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