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Rishi Sunak on Friday apologised to the public after his Conservatives were trounced by Labour in the United Kingdom general election, and said he would step down as party leader. The 44-year-old former financier gambled on going to the country six months before he had to, hoping that better economic data would swing public support
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The Federal Government is working towards de-criminalising attempted suicide in the country. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammed Pate, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at a news conference to commemorate the 2024 World Suicide Prevention Day. The commemoration is marked worldwide on September 10 every year. The theme for 2024
Nigerian govt moves to decriminalise attempted suicide
The Federal Government is working towards de-criminalising attempted suicide in the country.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammed Pate, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at a news conference to commemorate the 2024 World Suicide Prevention Day.
The commemoration is marked worldwide on September 10 every year. The theme for 2024 is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide”.
Suicide is a criminal offense in the country but there have been several calls by stakeholders to de-criminalise it.
Captured under Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act, it says “Any person who attempts to kill himself is guilty of a misdemeanour and is liable to imprisonment for one year.”
Pate, therefore, said that the ministry had launched the National Suicide Strategic Framework (2023-2030) to boost mental health and assist in the prevention of suicide.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, the minister said the document identified the risk and protective factors associated with suicide in the country.
He added that it also identified the strategic objectives, interventions, and indicators for suicide prevention, in line with international best practices.
The minister said that available data on suicide in Nigeria is put at 12.9 per 100,000, which is high.
He further said that suicide rates are high among young people aged 15 to 29 years, making it the fourth leading cause of death in the age group in Africa, accounting for 40 percent of all suicide deaths.
He, however, said that the statistics may not fully reflect the true prevalence of suicide in Africa, as all the reporting and stigma surrounding mental health issues remain huge barriers to accurate reporting.
Pate also said there was a strong link between suicide and mental health conditions, and that depression and alcohol use disorders were established links.
According to him, many suicides happen impulsively in moments of crisis, with a breakdown in the ability to deal with life’s stress such as financial problems, relationship issues, breakups, chronic pain, and illness, among so many others.
He, however, said that the theme of the 2024 Global Observance Day is hinged on raising awareness about the importance of reducing stigma and encouraging open conversations to prevent suicide.
The minister added that changing the narrative means shifting our focus from the tragedy of suicide to prevention.
“It means moving away from taboos, stigma, and discrimination, to empathy and positive cultural change.
“As we stand united, we acknowledge the pain and suffering of those who have lost loved ones to suicide and we affirm our commitment to creating a society that supports and cares for those struggling with mental health issues.
“Suicide prevention is our collective responsibility and we must all be committed to building a society that values mental health, promotes well-being, and provides care for everyone,” he stated.
Israel’s military has announced the death of Hashem Safieddine, a key Hezbollah leader and the man widely believed to be the successor of the group’s longtime chief, Hassan Nasrallah, in a targeted airstrike three weeks ago on Beirut’s southern suburbs. DAILY POST had reported that Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on September 27.
Israel claims to have killed Nasrallah’s successor in Beirut strike
Israel’s military has announced the death of Hashem Safieddine, a key Hezbollah leader and the man widely believed to be the successor of the group’s longtime chief, Hassan Nasrallah, in a targeted airstrike three weeks ago on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
DAILY POST had reported that Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on September 27.
According to a statement by the Israeli army, Safieddine, head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, and Ali Hussein Hazima, head of the group’s Intelligence Directorate, were among several commanders killed during the strike on Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh.
“It can now be confirmed that in an attack approximately three weeks ago, Hashem Safieddine and other senior Hezbollah commanders were killed,” the statement read.
Israeli military officials described this as a significant blow to Hezbollah’s leadership.
Hezbollah has not officially responded to Israel’s claims regarding the deaths of Safieddine and Hazima. Safieddine had been tipped to succeed Nasrallah, his distant cousin, as leader of the Iran-backed militant group.
The strikes on Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut are part of an ongoing Israeli offensive in Lebanon, which escalated in late September after more than a year of conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
In response to cross-border fire from Hezbollah, Israel has intensified airstrikes on Lebanon and deployed ground troops to secure its northern border.
The ongoing conflict has claimed the lives of at least 1,552 people in Lebanon since September 23, according to Lebanese health ministry figures.
Israeli forces have struck multiple Hezbollah targets across the country, including Beirut and the southern cities of Nabatiyeh and Hermel.
Israel’s army chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said, “We have reached Nasrallah, his replacement, and most of Hezbollah’s senior leadership.”
The Israeli military continues to press its offensive, with fresh airstrikes reported Tuesday in southern Beirut, following warnings for residents to evacuate the area.
As the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah rages on, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss efforts toward a ceasefire in Gaza.
Blinken urged Netanyahu to seize the momentum from Israel’s recent killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and work towards ending the conflict in the Palestinian territory.
However, with Israel focusing on its northern border and continuing airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, the broader regional conflict shows little sign of de-escalation.
Israeli airstrikes have devastated several civilian areas in Lebanon. On Tuesday, strikes near a hospital in Beirut killed 18 people, including children, and flattened multiple buildings.
Humanitarian agencies have expressed alarm at the rising civilian toll, while Hezbollah continues to launch rocket fire into northern Israel.
The conflict, which started with Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has since spiraled into a broader regional war involving Lebanon, Gaza, and Israel, with both Hezbollah and Israel suffering heavy losses.
Israel claims to have killed Nasrallah’s successor in Beirut strike
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