Systems-Level Analysis of Forensic Science Infrastructure Deficits and Their Impact on Criminal Justice in North East Nigeria

The systemic deficits in forensic science infrastructure across Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone have been compounded by over a decade of insurgency-related disruption, creating a forensic science ecosystem in critical need of systematic evaluation and strategic reconstruction. This doctoral study conducts a systems-level analysis of forensic science infrastructure deficits and their cascading impact on criminal justice outcomes in the North East. A mixed-methods systems analysis design was employed, applying soft systems methodology to map the forensic science ecosystem across Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe States through 120 stakeholder interviews, institutional capacity audits of twenty-two forensic-adjacent facilities, analysis of 200 criminal case files, and expert panel deliberations. The study develops a comprehensive systems map of the North East forensic ecosystem, identifying infrastructure nodes, information flows, feedback mechanisms, and systemic failure points. Findings reveal that infrastructure deficits operate as interdependent constraints: inadequate laboratory capacity generates case backlogs that erode investigator motivation, which further reduces evidence quality, producing a self-reinforcing degradation cycle. The study introduces an original Forensic System Resilience Index to quantify and compare forensic ecosystem health across the six states. Recommendations, grounded in the systems analysis, include a phased North East Forensic Science Reconstruction Plan targeting three primary leverage points: mobile laboratory deployment, inter-agency coordination formalisation, and academic-practitioner workforce pipeline development. Keywords: forensic infrastructure, systems analysis, North East Nigeria, criminal justice, resilience.