Role of Forensic Evidence in Criminal Justice System in Nigeria.

Criminal investigation is an important part of the entire criminal justice system, such that its absence may lead to delays in the administration of justice, stalled trials, victimization of innocent citizens, and encouraging the escape of offenders from paying for their misdeeds. The current alarming rate of crime and its attendant increase in sophistication have called for the use of forensic evidence. It is a technique designed to either identify the perpetrator or to connect them to the crime with certainty. This paper examines the roles that forensic evidence plays in crime investigations. It examines judicial approach and evaluates the challenges inhibiting effective application of forensic evidence by courts in crime prosecution, and advances proactive measures for effective judicial application of forensic evidence. The design used in this research is the survey research design, and the sample size of this study is a total of one hundred and twenty personnel of law enforcement, the judiciary, citizens, and victims. The study adopted Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), which involves the use of frequency and percentage. The paper identifies the limitations of the current legal framework and recommends the deployment of forensic and other scientific instruments, devices, or platforms in the criminal investigation process, and runs training programs on forensics for all officers of the law. This is to guarantee the reliability of evidence to be relied upon by the courts in the just determination of criminal matters.