The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned Senate President Godswill Akpabio over his reported “seven virgins” comment during a debate on attempted suicide, accusing him of trivialising a sensitive mental health issue.
The opposition party also faulted Akpabio’s reported position in support of retaining jail terms for people who survive suicide attempts, insisting that such individuals need medical care and psychological support, not punishment.
Akpabio reportedly made the controversial remark on Tuesday during Senate deliberations on the National Suicide Prevention Bill.
In a video that circulated online, 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.”
The comment drew criticism from the ADC, which said the remark introduced religious stereotyping into a debate that should focus on saving lives.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party described the comment as insensitive and inappropriate.
“We find the ‘seven virgins’ remark particularly disturbing because it introduces religious stereotyping into a discussion that should be about protecting human life,” the party said.
“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 ADC said it was equally concerned by Akpabio’s reported support for retaining imprisonment as punishment for attempted suicide, arguing that criminalising survivors could worsen the crisis facing vulnerable people.
According to the party, people who attempt suicide often require urgent intervention, counselling and access to mental health services rather than the threat of prosecution.
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 severe 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 said it was disappointing that lawmakers were considering retaining the punishment when the legislative process offered an opportunity to reform the law.
“It is shameful that, when presented with an opportunity to reform this punitive inheritance, the head of the Senate chose to champion its preservation,” the ADC added.
The opposition party warned that threatening suicide survivors with imprisonment could discourage people from seeking help or disclosing suicidal thoughts for fear of being arrested.
“A position that leaves a suicidal person with only the choice of death or imprisonment does not discourage suicide. It encourages it,” the party said.
The controversy has renewed attention on Nigeria’s laws governing attempted suicide and growing calls for a shift towards a public-health approach to suicide prevention.
Under Section 231 of the Criminal Code applicable in southern Nigeria, attempted suicide is a misdemeanour punishable by imprisonment. Section 327 of the Penal Code applicable in northern Nigeria also criminalises attempted suicide.
Mental health advocates have argued that criminal penalties can deepen stigma and prevent people experiencing suicidal distress from seeking timely assistance.
The ADC urged lawmakers to prioritise prevention, counselling, treatment and support in any legislation designed to address suicide, maintaining that the protection of human life should remain the central objective.
The final implications of the National Suicide Prevention Bill will depend on its provisions and the outcome of the legislative process.
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