Reps ready for anti-suicide bill — Deputy whip

The deputy Whip at the House of Representatives, Nkiruka Onyejiocha, has said she is willing to accept any legislation to help curb what doctors have called the “rising trend of suicides” in Nigeria.

It comes as the Nigerian Medical Association in the FCT convened a scientific conference of experts to discuss the rising trend and fashion a way to curb it to be presented to “relevant authorities”.

“We all have members representing us in the House, we have governors and senators,” Onyejiocha told the conference in Abuja.

“If you find anything we should do in terms of motions and bills, bring it to us. I am ready to take any motion, any bill on behalf of any Nigerian.”

Media monitoring by Daily Trust shows 42 Nigerians have killed themselves in the first six months of this year alone—11 of them students.

Last year, Daily Trust reported 80 Nigerians killed themselves in 13 months.

Ogun, Lagos and Ebonyi were among seven states with the highest number of suicides.