Interrogation in Nigerian Police-suspect Discourse
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1109.01Keywords:
asymmetrical power, interrogation, linguistic coercion, police-suspect interaction, questioningAbstract
Police-suspect interrogation is a peculiar discourse genre where there is interplay of power and dominance. This study examines the process by which linguistic coercion by the police is being actualized. The data for the study were interrogations between the police and some suspects that were selected within Ondo and Ekiti State Police Commands. The towns were purposively chosen based on their geographical spread across the Ondo Area Command as well as their population and commercial advantages. The data gathered were transcribed and analysed using Gibbons’ Forensic Questioning model. Since police-suspect interaction is based on questions and answers, questions in police-suspect interaction were classified according to the degree of power embedded in them. The result indicated that assault, abduction, affray and robbery were the common themes in Police-Suspect Discourse. The findings of the study reveal that in Police-Suspect Discourse there are such questions as declarative, choice, restricted and non-restricted WH-questions, special formulas and projected questions. The study further reveals that the questioning strategies of the police afford them the opportunity of controlling the interrogation. The more frequently the police use questions, the more they are coercive.
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