The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has slammed Senate President Godswill Akpabio over his reported “seven virgins” remark during a debate on attempted suicide, describing it as insensitive and inappropriate for a matter involving mental health and the protection of human lives.
The opposition party also condemned Akpabio’s reported support for retaining imprisonment as punishment for attempted suicide, calling on the National Assembly to abolish what it described as an outdated colonial-era law.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the Senate President’s comments trivialised a serious public health concern that required compassion, understanding and medical intervention.
Akpabio reportedly made the remark on Tuesday while contributing to debate on the National Suicide Prevention Bill during plenary.
In a video that later 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 expressed displeasure with the comment, arguing that it introduced religious stereotyping into a discussion that should focus on preventing suicide and protecting vulnerable Nigerians.
“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.
It described the remark as careless and insensitive, warning that jokes or stereotypes had no place in discussions about suicide and mental health.
The ADC also faulted the criminalisation of attempted suicide, insisting that people who survive suicide attempts should receive appropriate care and support rather than face prosecution or imprisonment.
According to the party, laws prescribing jail terms for attempted suicide are remnants of colonial-era legislation that treated people experiencing severe psychological distress as criminals instead of individuals in need of help.
The party said it was troubling that the Senate President had reportedly defended the retention of such provisions at a time when the National Suicide Prevention Bill offered an opportunity to reform the law.
“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 statement added.
The opposition party warned that the threat of imprisonment could discourage people experiencing suicidal thoughts from seeking help or reporting suicide attempts.
It argued that a legal framework that leaves distressed individuals facing the prospect of jail could undermine efforts to prevent suicide and protect lives.
“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.
The party further cautioned that punitive measures could push vulnerable people away from support services and make suicide prevention more difficult.
It called for a more compassionate and progressive approach that prioritises mental health care, counselling and support for people in crisis rather than criminal sanctions.
