Digital Forensics Readiness in Nigerian Law Enforcement Agencies

As cybercrime and digital evidence become increasingly central to criminal investigations in Nigeria, the digital forensics readiness of law enforcement agencies is a critical professional concern requiring systematic assessment. This study assesses digital forensics readiness in Nigerian law enforcement agencies, focusing on the Nigeria Police Force and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. A professional assessment framework based on the ISO/IEC 27037 (Digital Evidence Handling) standard and the Grobler, Louwrens, and van der Walt Digital Forensics Readiness Model was applied through structured interviews with 25 digital forensics practitioners and investigators across Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt offices of both agencies. Assessments covered forensic infrastructure, trained personnel, documented procedures, legal admissibility protocols, and tool procurement. Findings indicate that both agencies have established nascent digital forensics units, but these units are significantly under-resourced relative to caseload. Tool licensing coverage is adequate for basic mobile and disk forensics but absent for advanced network forensics. Chain of custody documentation is inconsistently maintained, risking evidence admissibility challenges. Forensic analyst-to-case ratio is estimated at 1:40 in the EFCC, compared to an internationally recommended ratio of 1:12. The study proposes a Nigerian Law Enforcement Digital Forensics Readiness Improvement Programme, recommending sustained investment in certified forensics analyst training, standardised evidence handling procedures, and inter-agency tool sharing arrangements.

Keywords: digital forensics, law enforcement, Nigeria, cybercrime investigation, digital evidence