Despite the law, here are 11 reasons Nigerians are jumping into Lagos lagoon
Despite the law, here are 11 reasons Nigerians are jumping into Lagos lagoon
The
city of Lagos, known for its aquatic beauty, is sadly turning out ugly
stories. The once beautiful water fronts and creeks now appear to hold a
major attraction for desperate Nigerians who want to end their lives
tragically.
Such
has been the tale in the last few weeks. Before then, there had been
isolated cases of frustrated citizens choosing suicide as quick escape
route to the many, and everyday challenges, of survival.
The incidents of the past few days have raised immediate concerns having occurred in quick succession.
Sunday, March 19, a lady known as
Emerald, plunged into the Mile 2 creeks at Mazamaza on a suicide bid but
was rescued by some good Samaritans. Later same day, the state
witnessed the more celebrated story of Dr. Allwell Orji who stopped his
car in the middle of the popular Third Mainland bridge, and took a dive
into the lagoon. His mutilated body was fished out three days after.
On
Friday, another two suicide attempts were recorded. The more famous of
the two is the case of the aged woman, Abigail Ogunyinka, from Ketu who
jumped into the lagoon at Ebute Ero, but was rescued by vigilante
fishermen. The police authorities in Lagos, led by Fatai Owoseni, named
one Taiwo Titilayo as the second lady who made another suicide bid off
Third Mainland Bridge on Friday.
An
interesting dimension to the ugly incidents is that most Nigerians are
not even aware that the act of attempting a suicide is frowned at by the
Nigerian constitution. Indeed, it is considered a criminal offense
punishable with a year’s imprisonment!
By virtue of Section 327 of the Criminal Code “Any person who attempts to kill himself is guilty of a misdemeanor, and is liable to imprisonment for one year”. The penal code (Nigeria Penal Code, Chapter 27, Section 327) isn’t shy of making provisions, “Any person who attempts to kill himself is guilty of a misdemeanor, and is liable to imprisonment for one year.”
The
law, as it stands, exists to penalise the hapless ones who fail to
complete their mission, while the successful ones, with greater
liability, who are now beyond the reach of the same law, are exempted
from punishment.
Although
attempted suicide is a crime in Nigeria, actual prosecutions against
those who attempt it appear to be rare. However, a significant number of
those who make an attempt to terminate their lives may have a wide
range of psychological, economic, personality and social pathologies
that push them to the cliff of mental disequilibrium, such that they
resort to such a seeming absurdity.
The
big question is, why are Nigerians jumping to their deaths, using the
Lagos lagoon as a safe haven for a quick trip to the world beyond? Here
are 11 reasons citizens may be expressing absolute disgust with their
lives and choosing suicide as get-away from all the challenges of life:
1. Depression: According
to Dr. Raphael Ogbolu, a Consultant Psychiatrist with the Lagos
University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, hopelessness is more likely, the
strongest indication that will warrant someone to kill him or herself.
“A medical condition like depression alters the way one thinks and
makes you ‘truly’ believe that there is no hope”. The case of Dr. Orji
cannot be far-fetched as it was reported that he had failed a major
exam. To him, all hope was lost, and then the essence of living is lost.
This is traceable to virtually all cases of suicide in the country.
2. Economic Hardship:
The economic recession and inflation has had its toll on Nigerians,
particularly ‘the common man’ who is either struggling to keep his/her
business afloat or feeding from hand to mouth. So is the case of Abigael
Ogunyinka, the aged woman who had borrowed money from a Micro Finance
bank to run her ‘amala business’ and had defaulted to the tune of
N150,000.00. Mama decided to end her life because of her inability to
pay her debt and the embarrassment she’s likely to face. With interest
rates remaining at double digits, what are the possibilities that many
more loan defaulters won’t reason the way mama Abigael did?. Bala Zakka,
an economist could not agree less about the effect of the economic
hardship on people. He said, “the country has failed to think towards
that direction, people are suffering economically, companies are gearing
towards closing up and it is having a ripple effect on workers, it is
very psychological and the holding limits is fast being exceeded”.
3. Drug Abuse:
In Nigeria, a higher percentage of youths and middle-aged have had a
taste of banned intoxicating substances; Indian hemp, marijuana,
codeine, cocaine, alcohol, to Name a few.. Many have blamed their
addiction on lack of job, peer pressure, motivation and so on. These
substances are abused as the mind craves for more to take the worry
away. The trend is fast becoming a norm as youths no longer hide while
abusing these substances. Although, no recent reported incidence has
been traced to drugs, it has had its fair share in suicide cases.
4. Mistakes:
The decision to commit suicide due to mistake or negligence as the case
may be is narrowed down to how the victim pre-empts the reaction of
people when they find out their reasons for committing suicide. Again,
Mama Abigael probably had started to blame herself in the first place
for collecting the loan for her amala business that is looking
impossible to pay back. Mama’s example to intending loan collectors is;
“do not collect loan if you are not sure of how to pay back, and if you
do, Lagos lagoon is just a bus ride away”.
5. Unemployment/Financial problem:
With a poor economy, many people lose their jobs and look for new ones,
but since the competition is fierce, landing a new job, and a good one
at that, can be difficult. In many cases being unemployed not only makes
people feel as if they have no purpose in life, it can lead to
depression over lack of an income as well. Employment provides most
people with a sense of purpose and belonging to a specific group or
company. The financial stress can take a major toll on a person’s mental
health. People who are struggling financially sometimes see no end in
sight to their debt and bills. In Nigeria’s difficult economy, most
people are living on the edge because of unemployment or
underemployment.
6. Relationship problems:
Some people have difficulties making friends and maintaining a close
group for socialization. Others struggle with staying in abusive
relationships just so that they can avoid feeling isolated and lonely,
not feeling appreciated, or going through break-ups. As far as romantic
relationships are concerned, the act of a break-up can trigger intense
feelings of depression, anxiety, guilt and panic leading a person to
deal with a lot of emotional pain. Often times most people commit
suicide as a result of break-up.
7. Terminal illness/chronic pains:
Many people with terminal illnesses that have no hope of improving
their situation based on current science and medicine may become
depressed. The case of Dr. Allwell Orji who is alleged to be a sickle
cell patient probably felt powerless about his condition. People with
terminal illnesses or people with chronic pains might just feel
justified to end their pains and that of their loved ones by taking
their life.
8. Trauma/Stress (Post Traumatis Stress Disorder, PTSD):
People who have been through traumatic experiences like wars, sexual
assault, losing a loved one or any terrifying ordeal may develop Post
Traumatic Stress disorder. They feel tensed and are easily startled
which can make them angry and irritable all the time. It wounds a
person’s sense of self, their value, their worth and they no longer feel
secure in this world and thus they are driven to the idea of suicide to
end it all. A case recalled is that of a middle aged woman in Lagos who
lost her only child and husband; she resulted to committing suicide,
but was rescued by her mother.
9. Mental illness:
For those who have killed themselves from bipolar disorder or other
forms of mental illness. Driving across major highways in Lagos, you
will witness a good number of mentally unbalanced people who are exposed
to the dangers of being hit by a vehicle, a case that comes to mind is a
recent incident along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, where a mentally
unbalanced man was hit while walking in the centre of the expressway.
His mental state can be the cause for such suicidal act.
10. Bullying: Bullying
can have a profound effect on the way people think and how they feel.
Most people that are bullied end up feeling extremely depressed,
worthless, and hopeless to change their situation. In many cases,
bullying goes completely unrecognized until the victim can’t take it
anymore and sees suicide as the only way to escape the pain that they
are experiencing. Although, most reported cases of bullying in the
country have been met with strict penalties, but the concern is, how
many victims speak out? Bullying can take the shape of verbal and
non-verbal (Physical) and sometimes emotional.
11. Lack of adequate specialists: Most
hospitals in the country, especially public health institutions lack
specialist psychiatrists or psychologists to handle cases that could
eventually lead to suicidal thoughts. These professionals are few
in-between, and mostly available to the rich, with the common man left
to his fate.
Nearly
everyone has experienced suicidal thoughts at one point or another
throughout their existence. Everyone deals with tough times, but some
people have been dealt a tougher hand when it comes to life
circumstances, post trauma, mental and/or physical illness, social
standing and ability to cope with depressive emotions. How such cases
are handled is what makes the difference.