Is suicide Worth The Trouble?

Olubunmi Olademo’s lifeless body was found hanging in one of the rooms in his uncompleted building in Ilorin. His neighbours said he decided to take his own life out of frustration as he was unable to complete the building after many years, and because of his declining fortune.

His frustration, they said, had deepened because his wife had refused to assist him out of his predicament. Olademo, who until his death was an engineer, decided to take his own life as a way out of his frustration.

Another case of suicide that recently attracted media attention was that of a high chief who plunged into a lake. His close associates said he often made philosophical remarks about the vanity of life.

Olademo and the other suicide cases are only two of the many reported and unreported cases of self-inflicted deaths in Nigeria. Observers say that suicide cases are on the increase, even as many are neither reported nor documented.

Psychologists say that suicide, the act of intentionally causing one’s own death, is no bravery. They say it is cowardly, and not rational.

Experts attribute the causes of suicide to despair, stress and mental disorder. Other factors that may lead to suicide, they say, are financial difficulties, troubled relationships, and genetics.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more than one million people die by suicide every year across the globe. It also says that suicide is the 13th leading cause of death worldwide, and that the incidence is far higher in men than women.

Although there are no empirical evidence of proof, experts say that suicide is on the increase in Nigeria, and that the circumstances leading to most of the cases have proved experts right.

Prof. Veronica Okeke of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, corroborates that, saying that most suicide cases are often due to frustration.

According to her, when a personality is frustrated and fails to achieve his set business or political goals, he may end up committing suicide if he is not properly counselled.

“Wealthy men may commit suicide when they feel that obstacles to achieving their targets are insurmountable.

“This action may be a way the person feels to avert shame by his peers, family and the larger society.’’

Okeke also argues that when an individual is mentally unbalanced, he might tend to commit suicide irrespective of his status in the society, as he may not be absolutely in control of his senses.

“Ordinarily, it is believed that poor people commit suicide due to poverty; but sometimes suicide cases are recorded among the wealthy.

“High profile suicide cases are not because of poverty; but excessive ambition to acquire more power or money,” she argues.

Dr. John Mgbada, a guidance and counselling practitioner, adds that religious beliefs and rejection by immediate families and society could force an individual to commit suicide.

“When people find no motivation to live or continue with life’s activities, they may be inclined to commit suicide as an extreme measure to end life’s troubles,” he says.

Okeke, however, advises relations of personalities who are being confronted with one business or political challenges to always monitor them closely, and present them for medical and religious counselling.

“Family members should also avoid doing anything that may increase their frustration,” she advises.

Mgbada thinks that certain socio-economic and political factors could predispose an individual into committing suicide.

He cites the case of a pensioner who attempted suicide when he heard of the alleged fraud by officials of the pension board.

“I recently handled a case where a pensioner attempted suicide on hearing the huge sums of money allegedly laundered by officials of the pension board.

“I heard that man’s children have dropped out of school due to his inability to pay their fees, while his landlord threatened to evict him over rent default.

“He felt the problems were too much to bear and attempted suicide; but was saved by the quick intervention of his children.’’

“The government should adopt proactive policies that will ensure social security for the people to make them psychologically stable and meet up with life’s expectations,” Mgbada says.

“The economy has to be improved and saboteurs who engage in all forms of economic sabotage must be punished to serve as deterrent,”  he says.

Mgbada advises people to always share their problems with professional counsellors or their intimate friends to help them seek ways out of life’s challenges.

“Suicide is not the best way to escape from life’s vicissitudes; it is a damaging harm inflicted on oneself and one’s loved ones.”

A legal practitioner, Chief Solomon Akuma, says punishment for an attempted suicide is spelt out in Section 231 of the Penal Code Act and Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act.

Section 231 of the Penal Code Act says: “ Whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such offence shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine or with both.’’

Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act provides that: “Any person who attempts to kill himself is guilty of misdemeanour and is liable to imprisonment for one year.’’

Most Nigerian custom and tradition do not accord befitting burial rights to individuals who committed suicide as it is considered a taboo to do so.

Analysts say that people facing serious challenges need to share their problems with close associates and friends with a view to finding solutions to them.

Obike Ukoh