Policing rape and serious sexual offences in Nigeria: Officers’ experiences and appraisal of police investigative approaches

ABSTRACT

The article explores the lived experiences of investigative police officers in managing rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) in Nigeria, a developing country with a conservative patriarchal system and deep-rooted rape culture. A qualitative study involving 24 sexual crime-investigating police officers of six states’ police commands in southwest Nigeria was conducted, and a thematic analysis of the narratives was carried out. Findings indicated police efforts at addressing RASSO are constrained by inadequate resources, deficiencies in personnel skilled in RASSO investigation, lack of specialist training, and low motivational incentives. Participants reported problematic interactions with RASSO victims and made comments that communicated their acceptance of rape myths, including beliefs surrounding victim culpability and false reporting. The study suggested the reimagining of police strategies at improving rape investigations by deploying specialist approaches to policing RASSO. Deploying specialism will require engaging officers with knowledge and skills in investigating rape cases, better engagement with the victims, specialist training, and addressing rape script acceptance among sexual crime detectives.

KEYWORDS:

• Nigeria police
• RASSO
• sexual crimes
• specialism
• victims

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Richard Abayomi Aborisade

Richard Abayomi Aborisade, PhD, is a reader in criminology and victimology at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. His research themes include violence against women and girls, policing 21st century Nigeria, sexual victimization, and family-based violence. He has published in both local and international journals in these areas.

Niyi Adegoke

Niyi Adegoke, PhD, is a reader and lecturer at the at the Department of Criminology and Security Studies, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State. His research has covered various areas in criminology, criminal justice, penology and security management. Articles from his studies have featured in both local and international journals.

Oladele Adelere Adeleke

Oladele Adelere Adeleke, PhD, is a criminologist who lectures at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. He received his doctorate from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria. His research themes include rural criminology, policing rural Nigeria, and traditional social control. He has published in both local and international journals in these areas.

Urowoli Christiana Ebobo

Urowoli Christiana Ebobo is a lecturer in the Department of Criminology and Security Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja. She has developed her career in criminology and security studies focusing on female criminality, especially females’ involvements in violent crimes. She has published articles in these areas in both local and international journals.

Folorunsho Muyideen Ogunmefun

Folorunsho Muyideen Ogunmefun is a lecturer at the Department of Criminology and Security Studies, Chrisland University, Ogun State, Nigeria. He is also a member and grant beneficiary of the Social Science Research Council in Africa (SSRC). His research interest includes prison reforms, gang violence, drug abuse, security studies, and criminological theories.

Lydia Isioma Chineyemba

Lydia Isioma Chineyemba, Ph.D., a trained anthropologist, currently works at Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Nigeria, where she teaches courses in criminology and security studies. Utilizing anthropological knowledge, she conducts research in areas relating to gender studies, juvenile and deviant behavior, violence, and victimization. She has published in scholarly journals locally and internationally.

Samuel Sunday Adedayo

Samuel Sunday Adedayo is presently a PhD student in the Department of Sociology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye. His area of research interest includes policing, organized crime, etiology of crime and social problem. He has published articles in both local and international journals.