Forensic Science in the Nigerian Criminal Justice System

Introduction
The importance of criminal justice to the smooth running of any society cannot be overemphasized. An effective criminal justice system is fundamental to the maintenance of law and order. However, the Nigerian criminal justice system (which consists of the Police, Courts, and Prisons) is not only dysfunctional but outdated and not fit for purpose. Many provisions in our criminal laws are anachronistic. The loopholes in the law and its procedure have become so obvious. The reason is not far-fetched, crime and criminals have advanced to a very sophisticated level that the present criminal justice system cannot catch up. Forensic analysis is vital to criminal investigation because a person cannot be at the scene of a crime without leaving something behind and cannot leave the scene of a crime without taking something with him or her. Forensic science, as a scientific method of solving crimes, will provide an enhanced criminal justice system if it is adopted, as knowledge of forensic tools and services will aid the ability to recognize evidence and seize opportunities to gather them in circumstances that would not otherwise be possible.