The body of Chukwuemaka Akachi was discovered on May 13, 2019 by two of his friends after he had successfully executed his suicide mission in an uncompleted building located in Sullivan Road, Nsukka. The 21-year-old had regularly updated posts on his Facebook profile that suggested a deteriorating mental health and mixed thoughts typical of dementia, before his death. A young promising poet he was, Akachi’s story is akin to many other sad stories of young Nigerians who ended their own lives.
The word ‘suicide’ is definitely not new to anyone, not only because it is a common word, but because of how the act (or should I call it crime) has become ubiquitous in recent time. Suicide was coined from the latin word “Suicidium,” which literally means “to kill oneself.” And to put it simply, suicide is the successful act of ‘deliberately ending one’s own life.’
Some of the first suicide cases can be traced back to the days of Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero who killed himself in the Trojan War and Empedocles, a Greek philosopher who originated the theory of the four classical elements. He was believed to have died by throwing himself into Mount Empedocles. I won’t bore you with chronicles of suicidal cases in history; this was to give you a skimpy insight of how suicide started or rather the first recorded cases.
Prof Banku-Obi Emerges As UNICAL’s First Female VC
Suicide in Nigeria is becoming more of an everyday occurrence, with the old and young executing it. In 2018, Nigeria ranked fifth in WHO’s report on suicides per 100,000 per country published by Spectator Index. Nigeria placed fifth with 15,000 suicides in every 100,000 suicides worldwide. It is something of grave concern, even more so, because a critical look into Nigerian cases shows that young Nigerians, especially those in tertiary institutions constitute a high percentage of deaths by suicide. Between January and June 2019, 42 cases of successful suicides were reported, and more than 11 of these 42 cases were students of higher institutions.
Depression, one major cause of suicide is not restricted to age or gender. Statistics shows that eight out of every ten suicide cases are caused by depression. Depression is a mood disorder whose causes can be wrapped up in two conditions; biological and circumstantial. However, a survey conducted by experts showed that depression in Nigeria arises from frustration, mental disorder, emotional problems and economic/financial circumstances.
As humans, the onus lies on us to watch out for our loved ones and monitor closely when they begin to show certain signs — ‘talking about suicides,’ ‘obsession with death,’ ‘talking about lost hope,’ ‘actions that show self-hatred and worthlessness,’ ‘being moody and withdrawing from others,’ ‘self-destructive behavior,’ ‘frustrating exclamation’ and ‘sudden calmness/quietness.’ All these are suicidal signs, and any person who does this should be watched closely in order to prevent a suicide case.
The question most ask is “how can suicide be prevented?” One of the most effective formulas to prevent suicide (if you’re having suicidal thoughts) is speaking up. Speak up to a close friend and/or family member about any predicament you have that has been bothering you. To help a suicidal friend, you need to be proactive, especially by observing those around you and their behavioral changes. Responding quickly in a crisis also prevents suicide. If a friend confides on you about suicidal thoughts, it will be humanly of you to respond with swiftness.
Offering help and support also prevents suicide. Many of those who commit suicide have been nurturing the feeling that they were alone in the world and no one actually cared. No one offered financial and emotional support and assistance; no one gave a listening ear to their imbroglio.
Summarily, 80% of suicidal cases around the world can be prevented if we genuinely care for each other which of course is not so much of an herculean task. Every form of gesture however small is basically what could possibly save a life.
In the words of Ransom Riggs, “A song and a smile from someone I cared about could be enough to distract me from all that darkness, if only for a little while.”
© Brightest Okuta
