The total number of suicide cases recorded in Nigeria in 2017 was 332. Rivers state alone recorded a whooping 105 suicide cases. This massive number accounts for over 31% of the nation’s total suicide rate.
Suicide is a very fragile topic to broach in Nigeria. It is abhorred by almost every culture and religion. More so, the government has strict laws and suitable sentences for persons charged with suicide. How ironical for a nation that does little or nothing for its citizens!
Accounting for less than half of Rivers state, Lagos closed in with 47 recorded suicide cases. Borno followed suit with 45 cases while Katsina and Ogun had 23 and 20 suicide cases respectively. Jigawa, Niger and Osun state had 2 suicide cases while Gombe and Taraba had just one each.
For attempted suicide, a total of 196 cases were reported. Rivers had the highest records with 112 cases. Followed by Edo with 54, Ekiti with 8, Lagos with 5 and Ogun with 4 cases. For the states with the least recorded attempted suicide cases, Gombe had 2, while Bayelsa, Kano, Kwara and Niger state had one each.
SOURCE: Nigeria Bureau Of Statistics
