Profiling Criminals in Nigeria: Examining the Difficulties and Prospects for Enhancing Investigative Capabilities within the Nigeria Police Force

The paper examined criminal profiling and the challenges of criminal investigation among the Nigeria Police Force. The specific objectives of the paper includes examining the mechanisms put in place to aid criminal profiling in the Nigerian criminal justice system, an evaluation of the effectiveness of the mechanisms; identification of the challenges facing criminal profiling in the Nigerian criminal justice; and suggestions on how criminal profiling can be effective in the Nigerian criminal justice system. Biological Theory of Crime was adopted as a choice of framework to buttress the paper. Arising from the secondary sources of data reviewed, the paper revealed that the establishment of a police records management system, a forensic laboratory system where evidence from DNA sources is scientifically examined, and a central database for all Nigerians were the mechanisms put in place to aid criminal profiling in Nigeria. It was also discovered that criminal investigative analysis, behavioural evidence approach, and environmental psychology were approaches to profiling criminals. The paper also established that the mechanisms and approaches used for criminal profiling in Nigeria were very relevant to the criminal justice system but appeared to be ineffective, resulting from inherent challenges such as bribery and corruption, computer illiteracy, lack of professionalism, inadequate funding and remuneration of police personnel and uncooperative attitudes of the members of the public, among others. It was recommended that professional psychologists should be recruited and form a separate department in the Nigeria Police Force; the police should be well funded and better remunerated to boost their morale and commitment to profiling, among others.