The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised Senate President Godswill Akpabio over his reported “seven virgins” remark during a debate on attempted suicide, describing it as insensitive and inappropriate for a discussion on mental health.
The opposition party also faulted Akpabio’s reported support for retaining imprisonment as punishment for attempted suicide, insisting that survivors need medical care and psychological support rather than prosecution.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the remark risked introducing religious stereotypes into a debate that should focus on protecting human life.
Akpabio reportedly made the comment during Tuesday’s Senate plenary while lawmakers considered the National Suicide Prevention Bill.
In a video that subsequently 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.”
Reacting, the ADC described the comment as disturbing, arguing that it trivialised a serious public health concern.
“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 said.
The ADC argued that people who survive suicide attempts should receive mental healthcare, counselling and support rather than face prosecution and imprisonment.
It described the criminalisation of attempted suicide as a colonial-era legacy that should be abolished, arguing that people experiencing severe psychological distress should be treated as individuals in need of care rather than offenders.
The party also expressed disappointment that Akpabio had reportedly supported retaining imprisonment as a penalty when lawmakers had 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. 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 opposition party warned that the threat of imprisonment could discourage vulnerable people from seeking help or disclosing suicidal thoughts.
“A position that leaves a suicidal person with only the choice of death or imprisonment does not discourage suicide. It encourages it,” the ADC said.
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 called for a shift from criminal punishment to a public health approach that prioritises prevention, counselling, treatment and support.
The ADC urged lawmakers to adopt a more compassionate approach to suicide prevention, maintaining that protecting human life should remain the central objective of any legislation addressing the issue.
The controversy has renewed attention on calls to reform Nigeria’s laws on attempted suicide as lawmakers consider the National Suicide Prevention Bill.