Competency of Police Investigators on the Application of Digital Forensics in Cybercrime Investigation in Jigawa State Police Command, Nigeria

This study investigates the competency of police investigators in the application of digital forensics in cybercrime investigation within the Jigawa State Police Command, Nigeria. The study is anchored in the Routine Activity Theory (RAT). RAT posits that crime occurs when a motivated offender meets a suitable target in the absence of a capable guardian. The theory is therefore the theory is relevant in examining whether police investigators possess the necessary digital forensic skills to serve as effective guardians in the cyber domain. A quantitative survey design was employed in the study, with 351 questionnaires distributed while 302 were valid and analyzed. The findings revealed that crimes, such as cyber defamation and cyberstalking were more frequently investigated than technically complex crimes like cyber terrorism and hacking. Findings also revealed significant skill and training deficits among investigators, because over 77% had never attended any form of forensic training and 80% lacked training in digital forensics. Only 25.5% rated their digital forensic competency as high, while over half believed the police were not capable of effectively investigating all forms of cybercrime. The study concludes that the limited digital forensic competency of police officers hampers effective cybercrime investigation. It therefore recommends targeted capacity-building programmes, integration of digital forensics into police training curricula, and increased recruitment of ICT-competent personnel.