PSYCHOSOCIAL-ASPECTS OF MURDER IN NIGERIA

This study is a review of cases of murder reported to Police in Kaduna State from 1983 to 1987 and a survey of the psychosocial profile of t he murderers. Most of the murderers, 91.7%, were between the ages of 2 0 and 40 while 93.6% were male. Of them 56.5% were single while Moslem s (51.2%) formed the highest group. Unemployed and ex-service men pred ominated in the cohort interviewed. Sharp tools such as matchets, kniv es and axes were used by 66.7%, 83.3% of the murderers are acquitances (friends and family members) of their victims. Socially acceptable re asons were given for 79.1% of the murder while 5.3% were referred for psychiatric assessment. Implications of this study in formulating poli cy on murder are briefly mentioned.