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FG to decriminalise attempted suicide in December

Published

3 months ago

September 10, 2025

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to decriminalising attempted suicide in Nigeria, setting December 2025 as the target date for the reform.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, stated this on Wednesday at a press briefing in Abuja, in commemoration of the 2025 World Suicide Prevention Day, themed “Changing the narrative on suicide, creating hope through action.”

Globally, September 10 is dedicated to raising awareness and recommitting to saving lives that otherwise might be lost to suicide.

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 720,000 people die due to suicide every year. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds, and 73 per cent of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries.

In Nigeria, one of the most significant barriers to seeking help has been the criminalisation of attempted suicide under Sections 327 and 231 of the Criminal and Penal Codes, as the punitive approach has discouraged distressed individuals from seeking help and worsened stigmatisation.

To address this, the Federal Government inaugurated a National Taskforce on the Decriminalisation of Attempted Suicide on October 10, 2024, chaired by Prof. Cheluchi Onyemelukwe, with a mandate to guide Nigeria’s transition from punishment to a public health–oriented, compassionate response.

Pate, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary at the briefing, Daju Kachollom, said, “Evidence shows that with increased public awareness, early identification of warning signs, improved access to mental health care, and compassionate community support, suicide rates can be significantly reduced.

“And this year’s theme calls on us to replace silence with dialogue, shame with empathy, and stigma with understanding. It reminds us that our words matter, our attitudes matter, and our collective actions matter.

“Recognising the urgency for reform, the Federal Government took decisive action and, on the 10th of October 2024, the ministry inaugurated a national taskforce on the decriminalisation of attempted suicide.

“The taskforce was mandated to guide the transition from punishment to a compassionate, public health-oriented response, with a clear target to actualise decriminalisation by December 2025, which means we have less than four months.”

He noted that a government white paper had been finalised, while a draft amendment to the National Mental Health Act 2021, now the National Mental Health Act Amendment Bill 2025, had been developed to repeal punitive provisions in the Criminal and Penal Codes.

The minister stated that he has reviewed and adopted the draft white paper and amendment bill as the official position of the Ministry.

He further noted that there has been continued statutory engagement with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, along with his team, for additional input.

“After this, I will be presenting a memo at the Federal Executive Council for an Executive Bill on Decriminalisation of Attempted Suicide,” he added.

In her opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary at the ministry, Daju Kachollom, stated that though cases are under-reported in Nigeria due to a stigmatising environment, suicide is a growing concern.

Kachollom, who was represented by the Director of Port Health Services, Dr. Nse Akpan, highlighted that this year’s focus is not only to raise awareness but also to show commitment to preventing suicide through compassion, interventions, and reforms.

“The reality is clear: criminalising suicide attempts does not save lives. Instead, it worsens stigma, discourages people from seeking help, and adds legal punishment to personal suffering.

“Our ministry is determined to change this narrative by promoting a more humane, health-centred response,” she said.

The National Coordinator of the National Mental Health Programme, Dr. Tunde Ojo, said the reform aligns with global best practices where suicide is treated as a public health concern, not a crime.

In her goodwill message, the Vice President of Integration and Nigeria’s Country Director at the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Dr. Olufunke Fasawe, represented by Dr. Chizoba Fashanu, said Nigeria ranks seventh globally in suicide cases, stressing the need for reforms to tackle the problem.

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News

TikTok restricts late-night live access for Nigerian users

Published

1 hour ago

December 8, 2025

Newsbreak365_Admin

TikTok has temporarily restricted access to its LIVE feature for users in Nigeria during late-night hours, issuing an in-app notice to creators as part of what it described as an ongoing safety investigation.

At midnight Nigerian time on Sunday, the platform sent a system notification to users stating,”LIVE Notices
TikTok LIVE Update in Nigeria
We’re temporarily limiting LIVE late at night in Nigeria as part of our investigation to ensure our platform remains safe and our community stays protected.”

File Copy: The notification gotten by the app users in Nigeria

Checks by PUNCH Online showed that LIVE sessions, which were active earlier in the night, became inaccessible between 11pm and 5am, with affected accounts displaying a “No Access” label.

The restriction also prevented creators from viewing LIVE broadcasts from other countries.

Only creators with at least 1,000 followers, the minimum requirement to host a LIVE session, received the notification.

Several confirmed that all LIVE activities had been halted overnight.

Despite the disruption, creators who earn through LIVE gifting have their balances and previous earnings intact, easing concerns of financial loss.

As of Monday morning, LIVE access had been restored, sparking discussions across social media as users speculated about the cause of the sudden, nationwide restriction.

Night-time hours are typically peak periods for Nigerian streamers who host matches, entertainment segments, trends and other interactive sessions that attract viewers and virtual gifts.

The development comes weeks after TikTok released updated safety statistics for West Africa.

During its West Africa Safety Summit in Dakar, Senegal, the company disclosed that in the second quarter of 2025, it took action against 2,321,813 LIVE sessions and 1,040,356 LIVE creators globally for violating its LIVE Monetisation guidelines.

In Nigeria alone, 49,512 LIVE sessions were banned within the same period.

TikTok also reported removing 3,780,426 videos in Nigeria between April and June 2025 for breaching Community Guidelines, with 98.7% taken down before being viewed and 91.9% removed within 24 hours.

TikTok Live is an in-app feature letting users broadcast in real-time, fostering direct engagement with viewers through comments and virtual gifts, unlike pre-recorded videos, creating interactive sessions for Q&As, talent showcases, or just chatting.

To go live, you generally need 1,000+ followers (though sometimes less), be at least 16 (18 to earn money), have a clean account, and use the ‘+’ button to select ‘LIVE’, adding a title and effects before starting.

punch.ng

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Nnamdi Kanu acted like Awolowo by disengaging lawyers — Consultant

Published

1 hour ago

December 8, 2025

Newsbreak365_Admin

Aloy Ejimakor, legal consultant to the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra , Nnamdi Kanu, has likened him to the late Premier of the Old Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, over his decision to represent himself in court.

In a conversation with our correspondent on Sunday, Ejimakor suggested that Kanu’s refusal to hire lawyers may be delaying the filing of his appeal against his life imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

“MNK has not filed his appeal yet because he has refused to hire lawyers. You know he disengaged us as his lawyers, so we now act in the capacity of a consultant. I am a consultant to him,” Ejimakor said. “I don’t know why he does not want a lawyer, but I believe it is because he is a great man. Many great men are like that. They believe you can’t present their case like they can themselves. Even Awolowo refused to hire lawyers in his time. MNK wants to represent himself, and there are about four or five processes he has to follow to file the appeal before the Appellate Court.”

Ejimakor also backed Kanu’s request to be tranferred to Abuja from the Sokoto Correctional Centre.

He said, “The court already said he can’t be in Kuje prison, so that is fine, but he needs to be closer to Abuja, so if the court will grant his motion to be transferred to Suleja prison or Keffi. To me, there is nothing special about any prison in Nigeria. They are all the same, but MNK needs to be close to Abuja.”

During his trial, Kanu opted to represent himself after disengaging his legal team, headed by a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi (SAN).

On November 20, the court found him guilty on all seven terrorism-related charges brought by the Federal Government and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

Following his sentencing, Kanu was moved to the Sokoto correctional Facility due to concerns for his safety at Kuje, where previous prison breaks had been recorded.

He later filed a motion before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court seeking a transfer from Sokoto to a custodial facility closer to Abuja, such as Suleja or Keffi.

In the motion, personally signed by him, Kanu asked that it be deemed moved in absentia and sought an order compelling the Federal Government or Nigerian Correctional Service to effect the transfer.

Citing eight grounds in the motion marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, Kanu explained that his detention in Sokoto—over 700 kilometres from Abuja—made it impracticable to prepare his notice of appeal and record of appeal.

He stressed that all persons critical to assisting him, including relatives, associates, and legal consultants, are based in Abuja.

“The applicant’s continued detention in Sokoto renders his constitutional right to appeal impracticable, occasioning exceptional hardship and potentially defeating the said right, in violation of Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended),” the motion stated.

Kanu argued that transferring him to a facility nearer Abuja would enable him to effectively prosecute his constitutionally guaranteed right of appeal.

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News

U.S. Court Jails Nigerian Fraudster Oluwaseun Adekoya To 20 Years For Impersonation And 2M U.S.Dollars Fraud

Published

2 hours ago

December 8, 2025

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

A U.S. federal court has sentenced Oluwaseun Adekoya, a Nigerian serial fraudster who operated under multiple aliases while running a sprawling nationwide bank-fraud and money-laundering enterprise, to 20 years in prison for masterminding schemes that stole and laundered more than $2 million through a network of impersonators, fake accounts, and coordinated withdrawals across several states.

Adekoya’s arrest and conviction capped years of sophisticated financial crimes that federal investigators say left a trail of victims stretching from New York to multiple U.S. states.

The case broke open after the State Employees Federal Credit Union (SEFCU), headquartered in Albany, New York, detected a pattern of suspicious impersonation transactions across Capital Region branches. SEFCU’s alert triggered a multi-agency federal investigation led by the FBI’s Albany Field Office, which eventually exposed Adekoya as the mastermind of an extensive identity-theft and bank-fraud ring involving at least 13 accomplices.

Investigators said Adekoya consistently reinvented himself with new identities, new roles, and new operational tactics, as he expanded the criminal enterprise. His run ended on December 12, 2023, when FBI agents executed a search warrant at his luxury apartment.

During the raid, Adekoya attempted to remotely wipe the primary cellphone used to coordinate the schemes. Agents nevertheless recovered a trove of incriminating evidence, including:

• Multiple burner phones
• High-end luxury items such as Rolex watches
• A $51,000 Tiffany engagement ring
• Designer handbags
• More than $26,000 sitting in a laundering account

All items have since been forfeited.

Following two superseding indictments that added charges and additional defendants, Adekoya was convicted on multiple fraud and money-laundering counts. He has remained in custody since his arrest.

In addition to the 20-year sentence, he will serve five years of supervised release, pay over $2.2 million in restitution, remit a $1,100 special assessment, and faces removal from the United States upon completing his prison term.

Federal prosecutors said the ring relied on coordinated identity theft, impersonation of account holders, and strategic branch-by-branch withdrawals. Accomplices posed as legitimate bank customers, using stolen personal data to siphon funds, which were then laundered through controlled accounts, cash couriers, and luxury purchases.

The ring’s operations were “structured, disciplined, and highly adaptive,” investigators said, changing methods frequently to avoid detection.

Thirteen co-conspirators earlier pleaded guilty to roles ranging from impersonation to cash-movement, account manipulation, and logistical support. Their sentences include:

• David Daniyan, 61 (Brooklyn): 54 months’ imprisonment, one year supervised release, restitution over $2.2m.
• Kani Bassie, 36 (Brooklyn): 11 years’ imprisonment, five years supervised release; restitution pending.
• Davon Hunter, 27 (Richmond): 42 months’ imprisonment, three years supervised release, $469,499.18 restitution.
• Christian Quivers, 20 (Richmond): 42 months’ imprisonment, three years supervised release, $385,650 restitution.
• Jermon Brooks, 20 (Richmond): 36 months’ imprisonment, two years supervised release, $385,650 restitution.
• Akeem Balogun, 56 (Brooklyn): 21 months’ imprisonment, two years supervised release, $262,200 restitution.
• Victor Barriera, 64 (Bronx): Time served, three years supervised release, $203,352 restitution.
• Danielle Cappetti, 46 (Bronx): Time served, three years supervised release, $142,796 restitution.
• Jerjuan Joyner, 50 (Brooklyn): 12 months’ imprisonment, three years supervised release, $135,998 restitution.
• Gaysha Kennedy, 46 (Brooklyn): Time served, two years supervised release, $24,500 restitution.
• Crystal Kurschner, 44 (Brooklyn): Time served, three years supervised release, $220,850 restitution.
• Sherry Ozmore, 56 (Richmond): Time served, three years supervised release, $229,303.18 restitution.
• Lesley Lucchese, 53 (Manhattan): Pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing in 2026.

U.S. prosecutors say the dismantling of Adekoya’s syndicate underscores the increasing sophistication of fraud networks operating across state lines, and the growing cooperation among federal, state, and local law-enforcement agencies to disrupt them.

Officials noted that the investigation required extensive coordination across jurisdictions and financial institutions, describing it as “a model of inter-agency effectiveness.”

Source: Newsmakerslive

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