Nigeria: The Rise of Suicide Cases

28 January 2014

Last week Monday, Anthony Oyeniyi, a 17-year-old, final year student of Oro Grammar School, in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, reportedly killed himself within the school premises. The classmates of the deceased, who happened to be the head boy of the school, were said to have become worried when they noticed that Oyeniyi was not in class with them. A search party later found his body dangling from a tree. This came barely six weeks after a 12-year- old girl, Chisom Okechukwu, also committed suicide by hanging at Nnoche-Uduke Community in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi. A primary five pupil, Okechuwu was said to have left home and was not seen until the following morning, hanging on a tree at the back of her compound.

Suicide is a growing trend in our country but hardly anybody seems to be paying attention, perhaps because of the stigma the society attaches to the challenge, largely associated with mental health. According to a psychiatrist, Mr. Adeoye Oyewole, "suicide is common but it is often considered a taboo for anyone to broadcast information about it. The implication of this is that it is under-reported and even the police do not get to hear about it because of the stigma attached to it."

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