A Consultant Psychiatrist with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba, Dr. Raphael Ogbolu, has said suicide cases should not be criminalised.
Noting that several nations across the world had decriminalised suicide, Ogbolu called on the Federal Government to do same.
He made the call on Sunday at a Seminar/Rally held at the Saint John Ambulance Brigade, Nigerian Railway Compound, Ebute-Meta, Lagos.
Decrying the rising cases of suicides across the country, the Psychiatrists, however, commended the Federal Government for restricting the sale of sniper and outrightly banning the production of small packs of the product, which has become a chemical substance of choice for those who commit suicide in the country.
Quoting statistics from the World Health Organisation, WHO, he said the number of people who committed suicide increased from 6.5 per cent in 2012 to 9.9 per cent in 2015 and that an average of about one case of suicide occurred every month.
He stressed however, that figures of suicide cases were underestimated as most cases of suicide go unreported.
Ogbolu disclosed that broken relationships, drug abuse and depression can lead to suicide, adding that most of the cases of suicide within the academic circles occur due to self-esteem and sour relationships.
On the symptoms to look out for, he mentioned sudden change of attitude, loneliness and looking depressed saying, “When such symptoms are noticed, it’s better to counsel such persons before it gets out of hand.”
