Homicide Investigation in Nigeria: Exploring Disconnection Between Policing Procedures and Ground-Level Investigative Practice

Despite the existence of formal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for homicide investigation, little is known about how these procedures are implemented in resource-constrained policing environments. This study explores the disconnection between formally prescribed homicide investigation procedures and everyday investigative practice within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). Guided by Meyer and Rowan’s institutional theory and Lipsky’s street-level bureaucracy theory, the study employed a qualitative research design involving semi-structured interviews with 15 experienced homicide investigators drawn from the Homicide Sections of the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) and the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Lagos. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings revealed three interrelated themes: (1) resource constraints and investigative improvisation; (2) sociocultural and religious practices; and (3) organisational culture and homicide investigative practice. Participants described how chronic shortages of personnel, operational funding, logistics, and forensic resources routinely necessitated discretionary decision-making and informal investigative practices. Deeply rooted cultural and religious beliefs, particularly those surrounding postmortem examinations, further constrained the application of standard investigative procedures. The findings also demonstrate that organisational norms and institutional practices frequently diverged from formal procedural expectations, resulting in routine procedural adaptations. Rather than representing individual non-compliance, these departures reflect institutional decoupling in which frontline investigators adapt their practices to sustain investigations under structural constraints. The study contributes to the literature on policing in resource-constrained settings by demonstrating how institutional conditions shape investigative practice. It argues that improving homicide investigations requires not only stronger procedural guidance but also sustained investment in forensic infrastructure, operational resources, personnel development, and organisational accountability to reduce the persistent gap between policy and practice.