CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Crime is a social canker-worm that has eaten its way deep into the social structure of Nigerian society, having a wide-ranging effect.. Although Durkheim (1958) opines that “crime is inevitable and normal aspect of social life, it is an integral part of all healthy societies; it is functional” (cited in Haralambos & Holborn, 2008:322), its functionality in a society such as ours has to be viewed seriously because of the social and psychological problems it has caused many victims. In fact, no matter the functionality of crime in the society, the act of crime is condemnable and unacceptable in a healthy society, no matter the justification criminals may present.Armed robbery, theft, assault, abduction, rape, and other crimes were common in Nigeria in the 1970s; however, today, bombings, bomb explosions, extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering, child prostitution, assassinations, and other illegal activities have become the norm.“Nigeria was beset with myraid with security threats such as abduction, insurgency, civil unrest, political violence, bribery, murder, and armed robbery, among others,” Victoria Ekhomu in (2010). (cited in Utebor & Ekpimah,2010:11). Despite strict rules and fines aimed at curbing these offences, they have continued to rise, with the police becoming incompetent and incapable of savaging the situation.Internal protection is the responsibility of the police, who ensure the safety of people and property. Although the real question is, “Have the police been able to do their jobs successfully and efficiently?”It should be remembered that in 1986, Dele Giwa, a founding editor of the Newswatch Magazine, was killed by a parcel bomb (Oyeniyi 2007:51), the first of its kind in Nigerian history, when General Ibrahim Babangida was in power.Dino Dipo, an Action Congress gubernatorial candidate for Ogun State, was assassinated in 2007, and Yinka Odumakin, the party's national publicity secretary, characterized Dina's death as a national embarrassment.He went on to say that “Dina has now joined the league of Bola Ige, Ayo Daramola, Funso Williams and so many other non-prominent people who lost their lives since the inception of do-or-die politics. One common thread in all these assassination is the inability of the police to bring to book the perpetrators” (Akintunde, 2010:31).The majority crimes that stayed under-investigation, undetected, unexplained, or otherwise discharged and convicted demonstrate that the police success in terms of investigation, identification, or clearance rate has been ineffective.

1.2       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Efforts by the police to curb illegal activity in the country using effective forensic methods have not achieved the expected results; instead, unresolved crime is rampant. Our research of socio-demographic characteristics uncovered several key reasons that are thought to be responsible for Nigeria's high number of unsolved crime cases.In police investigations, training and education are extremely important. Accept that the majority of the respondents have completed at least high school, but they lack the skills and expertise necessary to handle police investigations. It's worth noting that any police station, especially the crime branch, should have a photographer who is well-versed in dealing with criminal evidence but this is not so in the Nigeria Police system.The implication is that the majority of police officers have been sent to the investigation unit as a result of corruption. As a result, corruption has a major impact on the number of unsolved crimes in Nigeria.Another stumbling block is a shortage of forensic resources. it was discovered that  finger print and signature analysis are not available at most police stations,. Walker (1989), Finnegan (1976), and Rosberg (1976) .

1.3       OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

I. To look at the role of criminal investigation in reducing the number of unsolved murders.

II. To investigate the connection between forensic investigation and unsolved murders in Nigeria, as well as the effect on crime prevention.

III. To investigate the public's attitude toward unsolved murders.

1.4       RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

I. In Nigeria, there is no relation between forensic equipment and facilities and the number of unsolved murders.

II. In Nigeria, there is no relation between unsolved murders and national security.

III. In Nigeria, there is no relation between criminal investigation capabilities and unsolved murders. 

1.5       SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research would be of benefit to crime detection sector of Nigeria,to the government as it would help identify the limitations of police force,It would also serve as bare–line data for prospective researchers who want to pursue similar projects.

1.6       SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The research work was carried in Akure, Ondo state

1.7       LIMITATION OF STUDY

Due to time and financial constraints, the research was limited to police stations in Akure.

1.8       DEFINITION OF TERMS

CRIME DETECTION: The finding of a crime, the apprehension of a suspect, and the gathering of adequate evidence to charge the suspect before a judge are the three distinct stages of crime detection. Many offences are detected and identified by people who are not police officers (e.g., victims or witnesses).

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