THE IMPACT OF INDISCRIMINATE ARREST OF SUSPECTS, TARDY INVESTIGATIONS AND POOR TECHNOLOGICAL CAPACITY OF THE NIGERIAN POLICE ON EFFECTIVE ADJUDICATION OF INSECURITY MATTERS BY THE DELTA STATE JUDICIARY

Abstract

The study examined the challenges of the judiciary in the adjudication of insecurity cases in Nigeria
with a focus on the Delta State Judiciary. This was motivated as a result of the human and
infrastructural challenges affecting the adjudication of insecurity cases in Nigeria. The research
addressed the problem of judiciary‘s inability to effectively adjudicate on insecurity cases and bring
perpetrators to justice, as a result of inadequate security in courts, tardy or inefficient investigation,
loss of case files, exhibits, delay in adjudicatory process, lack of deployment of ICT tools and other
trials logistics needs. The challenges created by these factors on the efficient and effective adjudication
of insecurity cases in Nigeria, with Delta State as a case study, is the gap this study seeks to fill. Several
related literatures were revealed in line with the sub-themes of the study. The situational-action theory,
the frustration-aggression and group system theory were used to explain facts generated in this
study. A descriptive survey was used to collect quantitative data about the 697 objects of the
population, while the sample size was 350. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the
respondents that participated in the survey. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation Technique was
used to test the hypothesis to determine whether or not the independent and dependent variable in the
study are linearly associated. Version 2023 of the Statistical package for social science (SPSS) was used
to carry out the analyses. The study conclude that the challenges of judiciary in the adjudication of
insecurity cases in Nigeria are caused by indiscriminate arrest of suspects, tardy investigations, poor
technological capacity of the Nigerian Police, amongst others. The study recommends that the state
government should carry out reforms and training to tackle the problems of indiscriminate arrest of
suspects and tardy investigations.