SUICIDE A SILENT MENACE AND NEED FOR PROACTIVE MEASURES

INTRODUCTION

1. Oftentimes acquaintances and very close associates of suicide victims express regret of neglect and feeling of guilt when a loved one commits suicide. Soon after the news of a suicide incident, answers to probable questions on what some of them failed to do seem to be very late. Others who know the victim begin to recollect their last moments together. In some instances, a reflection in the frequency of the menace in the community are narrated or recounted. Suicide is a deliberate act of forcefully killing oneself. Occasions abound where some victims write suicide notes stating reasons for the act, while some don’t and thereby leave sympathizers quite devastated.
2. Suicide cases pre-dates late BC era. For example, in 13 BC, Ajax the Great killed himself because he wanted the armour of Achilles but was given to Odysseus. He went berserk and killed the Greek herd of cattle. Realising his folly, he killed himself with a sword in order to still remain a hero. Suicide incident is becoming rampant and alarming as well as being an attractive means among young people to call it quit with existence. While it is registered more in developing nations, the developed and richer nations also record increasing cases of suicide. The increase in trend cuts across all cultures, age brackets and sexes in the various strata of the social order be it race, professions, schools and beliefs amongst others. Worldwide, suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents, aged 15–29-year-olds. In its 2020 report, the WHO stated that about 700,000 people die due to suicide every year in the world and that it is the third leading cause of death among teenagers. The statistics further indicates that 79 per cent of suicide cases are recorded in low-income countries.
3. In the USA, suicide is a major national public health problem. The increasing rate tended to attain epidemic level as some citizens adopts it as best option to end their lives. The American foundation for suicide prevention posits that suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the USA and the second leadingcause of death among young people. At the inception of COVID-19 pandemic the American Centre for Disease Control (CDC) found that 21.5 percent within age 18 to 24 committed suicide. In spite of this, it is suspected that suicide is underreported in the USA due to the stigma surrounding it. The reported cases in 2020 indicate that 132 Americans died by suicide daily which translates to 48,180 with 1.4 million attempts. If the rate continues at current trends, an estimated average of 54,000 individuals per year will die by suicide come 2025. Interestingly, the military community in the USA is not exempted from incidences of members who have killed selves especially retirees. Although the ratio is low compared to the civil community however, their involvement is of serious concern to the top US military hierarchy. It was estimated that about 30,177 active duty personnel and veterans of post 9/11 have died by suicide.
4. In 2000, Ukraine had the highest rate of suicide incidents with 29.6 deaths in every 100,000 persons. Serious concern was raised by the leadership and measures taken to address the rising suicide incidents. By 2015 the rate dropped to 18 per 100,000 persons. However, over the years till date the country is witnessing increase number to over 20 per 100,000 people. In Scotland, 833 suicide cases were registered in 2019. This was 49 more incidents over the cases recorded in 2018. In South Africa, The Minister of Health Mkhize said that between the commencement of the COVID-19 lockdown and August 2020, about 1,781 people had committed suicide. This is aside the over 23 daily registered cases of suicide in the country while in India it accounted for 134,516 deaths with 67 percent⁵ among young adults in 2019.
5. Nigeria is not immune to the incidents of suicide. As at 2016 it was 16^th in the world ranking with 9.7 in every 100,000 persons. Annual reported cases abound every year but the unreported instances are much more, requiring concerted effort to stem it. Owing to unwillingness to report the incidents, it was ridiculously posited that, from 2010 to 2019 Nigeria recorded a total of 350 suicides. Meanwhile, the menace is on the increase yet there have been no aggressive and deliberate institutionalized measures to mitigate the scourge. Suicide is considered a stigma in Nigeria, as such many families of victims ensured that occurrences were kept secret within the confines of the family or community.
6. The Military in Nigeria also shares in the statistics. Record indicates that the military loses personnel yearly through suicide. This brings to question; why would a person decide to end his/her existence? Are there no other options to exploit in order to be alive than commit suicide? Were families, friends and other people around suicide victims unapproachable? Did service personnel who committed suicide seek audience with their superiors? Is there a mechanism in Nigeria that serves as a watchdog to treat suicide ideation and report or document same? Attempts shall be made to answer some of these questions and effort to provide some remedy to avert epidemic level.

To be continued…