The opposition party also faulted Akpabio’s reported support for retaining imprisonment as punishment for attempted suicide, urging lawmakers to treat suicide attempts as a mental health concern requiring care and support rather than criminal prosecution.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the Senate President’s reported comment risked introducing religious stereotypes into a legislative discussion that demanded sensitivity and compassion.
Akpabio reportedly made the remark during Tuesday’s Senate plenary while lawmakers considered the National Suicide Prevention Bill.
In a video that subsequently circulated on social media, the Senate President was heard saying amid laughter that “why death may be attractive to some young people is that they have seven virgins waiting for them.”
Reacting to the comment, the ADC said it was disturbing that such a remark had been made during deliberations on an issue involving people experiencing severe psychological distress.
“We find the ‘seven virgins’ remark particularly disturbing because it introduces religious stereotyping into a discussion that should be about protecting human life. Such a lurid comment is not only careless and insensitive. It also trivialises an issue that is, literally speaking, a matter of life and death,” the party stated.
The ADC argued that individuals who survive suicide attempts need access to professional mental healthcare, counselling and social support rather than the threat of arrest, prosecution or imprisonment.
It described the criminalisation of attempted suicide as a colonial-era legacy that should be abolished, accusing the Senate President of supporting a punitive approach to people experiencing profound emotional and psychological distress.
“The criminalisation of attempted suicide is a colonial legacy. These laws belong to an era when people experiencing profound distress were treated as offenders rather than as human beings in need of care,” the statement read.
The party expressed disappointment over Akpabio’s reported position on imprisonment, arguing that the Senate had an opportunity to reconsider a legal approach it believes discourages vulnerable people from seeking help.
“It is shameful that, when presented with an opportunity to reform this punitive inheritance, the head of the Senate chose to champion its preservation. Nigeria cannot continue to punish people for surviving a crisis that nearly claimed their lives, especially when those who handed us those laws have long abolished them,” the ADC added.
The party further warned that threatening suicide survivors with jail terms could prevent people experiencing suicidal thoughts from disclosing their struggles or seeking timely medical assistance.
“A position that leaves a suicidal person with only the choice of death or imprisonment does not discourage suicide. It encourages it,” the statement said.
The controversy has renewed attention to Nigeria’s legal and public health response to attempted suicide.
Section 231 of the Criminal Code applicable in southern Nigeria criminalises attempted suicide as a misdemeanour, while Section 327 of the Penal Code applicable in northern Nigeria also provides for punishment for attempted suicide.
Mental health advocates have argued that criminal penalties can deepen stigma and make vulnerable individuals less willing to seek help. They have instead called for policies that prioritise early intervention, counselling, treatment and support.
The ADC urged lawmakers to ensure that the National Suicide Prevention Bill adopts a compassionate, evidence-based approach that places the preservation of life at the centre of suicide prevention.
The party maintained that people who survive suicide attempts should be treated with dignity and given access to appropriate care.
Akpabio’s reported comments and position on punishment have consequently become part of a wider debate about the balance between existing criminal laws and calls for a public health approach to suicide prevention. The final implications of the proposed legislation will depend on its provisions and the outcome of the legislative process.
