Demons behind suicide

The high rate of suicide cases presently in Nigeria is too alarming and very depressing,  almost 20 suicide cases between  January  and May and this is the worst ever in the history of Nigeria. And to me, the likely causes of this high suicide rate in Nigeria in recent time may include: Seeing failure as a taboo and as an end of the road; inability to withstand pain and always thinking that life is always a bed of beautiful roses; lack of fear of God; anxiety; our public figures/celebrities’ show of wealth on social media while some Nigerian graduates can’t afford to ride a bicycle and some couldn’t even afford to feed well.

We also have high rate of joblessness while some are even working without salaries; bad parenting; lack of patience of our youths; doing the right thing at the wrong time; misplaced priorities; peer pressure; poverty; living in isolation; disobedience and so on.

But my kind advice is that we must never see suicide as an option for whatever we are going through. It is not an answer. The media, religious bodies including schools, parents, government and non-governmental agencies must do all we can to put an end to this scourge. Say no to suicide!

Afolabi Dara Zion,

Sango Ota, Ogun state

Leave a Reply