The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) has pledged to review the law criminalising suicide attempts in Nigeria.
Fagbemi made the promise during a meeting with the Asido Foundation, a non-governmental organization advocating for mental health reforms.
The AGF acknowledged that health is a priority area for the President Bola Tinubu administration, as such, there was need to reexamine the law, particularly in cases where offenders are not in a sound mental state.
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According to him, such individuals require compassion, treatment, and support rather than punishment.
The Minister explained that while his office cannot unilaterally change the law, he would engage with the Body of Attorneys General and the Federal Ministry of Health to address the issues surrounding the Mental Health Act.
In January 2023, the founder of Asido, Dr Jibril Abdulmalik had appealed to the AGF to review the law and implement the Mental Health Act signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Abdulmalik had stressed that medical evidence shows that 80-90 per cent of those who attempt suicide have underlying mental health conditions, such as depression, and require treatment rather than punishment.
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