It's sad that a mental health issue is a crime

When you think Nigeria can no longer surprise you, something pops up that equally annoys and astounds you.

Today, Monday, April 24, 2017, the news of a Mrs Titilayo Momoh who attempted to commit suicide on March 24 made the rounds.

The 51-year-old businesswoman was arraigned before a magistrate court in Ebute Meta today. Her crime? Attempted suicide.

Nigeria is the gift that gives on giving. Attempted suicide should not be an offence. It's a cry for help from the mind of someone dealing with serious mental health issues. Someone who tries to take his life needs treatment and shouldn't be treated like a criminal.

To make Mrs Momoh's case funnier was that she was granted a bail of N500,000. A woman tries to commit suicide because of financial issues and you set her bail at half a million Naira. Naija is a frustrating place.

To make this issue more comical, the business woman was instructed to go for psychiatric evaluation before her next court appearance.

Is it not obvious that someone who attempts to commit suicide has mental issues? What is now the purpose of going for a psychiatric evaluation when it is clear that the woman in question has issues needed to be dealt with immediately?

Mental health will still be treated with kid gloves. We don't take it seriously as an ailment. We think it's some fancy oyinbo term that only affects ajebutter people.

Here is the reality of things, many Nigerians have mental issues and some of them are the ones who made up this pointless law.