“We Can’t Work With Them, We Can’t Work Without Them”: The Police-Victim Advocacy Nexus in Processing Sexual Offenses in the Nigerian Justice System

• Published date: 01 November 2024
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00938548241267249
• Author: Richard Abayomi Aborisade,Oladele Adelere Adeleke,Urowoli Christiana Ebobo,Folorunsho Muyideen Ogunmefun,Lydia Isioma Chineyemba,Niyi Adegoke,Samuel Sunday Adedayo
• Date: 01 November 2024

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR, 2024, Vol. 51, No. 11, November 2024, 1773 –1793.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548241267249

Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions

© 2024 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology

1773

“WE CAN’T WORK WITH THEM, WE CAN’T

WORK WITHOUT THEM”

The Police-Victim Advocacy Nexus in Processing

Sexual Offenses in the Nigerian Justice System

RICHARD ABAYOMI ABORISADE

OLADELE ADELERE ADELEKE

Olabisi Onabanjo University

UROWOLI CHRISTIANA EBOBO

National Open University of Nigeria

FOLORUNSHO MUYIDEEN OGUNMEFUN

LYDIA ISIOMA CHINEYEMBA

Chrisland University

NIYI ADEGOKE

Federal University

SAMUEL SUNDAY ADEDAYO

Olabisi Onabanjo University

Previous studies posited that survivors of rape receive better treatment from the police when advocates are involved and the

police embrace collaboration. However, the collaborative relationship between the Nigerian police and rape victim advocates

has yet to receive scholarly attention. To address this, a qualitative study was conducted, with 24 police officers of sexual

offense units in six Police Commands, and 50 rape victim advocates from 28 advocacy groups. A thematic analysis of the

narratives was carried out. Findings indicated problematic police-advocate collaboration in the process of reporting, inter-

viewing, investigating, and prosecuting rape cases. Advocates stated that officers exhibited rape myth acceptance. Officers

stated that advocates often display aggressive approaches in interfering with interviews, are ignorant of police procedures,

and often wrongly accuse officers of corrupt practices. These findings have important practical, policy, and further research

implications if criminal justice efficiencies and ideal victim support services are to be achieved.

Keywords: collaboration; Nigeria police; rape victim advocacy; sexual offenses; survivors

AUTHORS’ NOTE: Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Richard Abayomi

Aborisade, Department of Sociology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, P.M.B. 2002, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State,

Nigeria; e-mail: aborisade.richard@oouagoiwoye.edu.ng.

1267249CJBXXX10.1177/00938548241267249Criminal Justice and BehaviorAborisade et al. / WE CAN’T WORK WITH THEM, WE CAN’T WORK WITHOUT THEM

research-article2024

1774 CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR

In inoculating communities against violence toward women, the need for concerted efforts

by interdisciplinary teams of the police and victim advocacy along with medical, mental

health, faith, educational, media, and prosecutorial professionals has been emphasized

(Aborisade, 2022a; Koris et al., 2022; Mensa & Grow, 2023; UN Women, 2023; The World

Bank, 2019). Literature on policing sexual violence has also strongly recommended police

collaboration with victim advocates and other supportive agencies for the effective han-

dling of rape cases (Aborisade et al., 2023; Long, 2018; Wegrzyn et al., 2022). This is pre-

mised on the expected positive effects that advocates will have on the treatment of rape

survivors by investigative police officers. For example, Campbell (2006) posited that offi-

cers are unlikely to omit important procedures, make derogatory comments, and take actions

considered to be harmful to survivors if victim advocates are involved. While these trans-

disciplinary collaborations are widely believed to represent “best practice” in handling rape

cases, studies have reported some law enforcement agencies displaying resistance to includ-

ing “outsiders” in their investigative processes.

Although, there is a dearth of studies on the nature of police officers’ collaboration with

rape victim advocates in Nigeria, reports on problematic interactions between officers and

advocates often feature on news channels. For example, Human Rights Watch (2010),

reported the case of a lawyer and rape victim advocate, Goodness Ibangah, who worked for

Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL), a nongovernment women’s advocacy group. She was

said to have been physically assaulted by four police officers at her WACOL office for

refusing to withdraw a rape case she filed on behalf of a 21-year-old survivor. Ms. Ibangah

was accused by the officers of standing in the way of an out-of-court settlement by prevent-

ing negotiation between the victim and perpetrator. This and similar incidents have raised

questions on the nature of collaboration between the police and victim advocates in facili-

tating the delivery of justice and victims’ satisfaction with the Nigerian justice system.

Therefore, this study seeks to engage police officers and victim advocates to explore the

nature of collaboration between them in handling rape cases.

THE NIGERIA POLICE AND RAPE POLICING

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is designated by the 1999 constitution to act as the

national police with exclusive jurisdiction throughout the country (Odeyemi & Obiyan,

2017). Therefore, it is the principal law enforcement and lead security agency in Nigeria.

The NPF adopts a control-dominated policing system that is characterized by a centralized

police structure and relies heavily on instrumental incentives for compliance in which sanc-

tions or threats are prevalent. In addition, the NPF has crime control as the main aim of its

policing activities and primarily derives its legitimacy from the state. Its systemic reliance

on instrumental compliance and use of lethal force has been traced both to its orientation at

inception under British colonial rule and the country’s prolonged rule under military juntas

(a military government that has taken power by force and not by election) (Aborisade &

Obileye, 2017; Agbiboa, 2015).

In policing rape and other serious sexual offenses in the country, the Nigerian police have

been widely reported to have a low clearance rate (Aborisade et al., 2023; Amnesty

International, 2021; Owonikoko et al., 2023). Reported rapes are often withdrawn or aban-

doned by survivors due to alleged corrupt practices by police officers, their lack of empathy

toward survivors, inadequate survivors’ support services, and poor interviewing skills