“OGA, I’m Not Lying”: discursive strategies in selected police-suspect interrogations in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Interrogation is a vital tool through which police officers obtain substantial evidence from suspect(s).Previous studies examined the verbal means of language without paying attention to emotions, gestures and voice pitch; and only the language use on the part of the Investigating Police Officers (IPOs) was considered without examining the suspects. Thus, this study identified and discussed the discursive strategies performed by both the IPOs and the suspects during interrogations. Using Jacob Mey’s Pragmatic Act Theory as framework, and three purposively selected cases out of the cases in the data collected from the Oyo State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan, data were subjected to pragmatic analysis. Six discursive strategies are identified: smile/grin, frown, shout, question style, repetition and code-switching. The various strategies were cushioned to achieve diverse goals in the interrogation sessions. Smile/grin helped in the establishment of rapport, signaling pretence/sarcasm; frown indicated lie detection and discontent; shout showed anger and discontent; questions for information elicitation (wh-question), precision (polar questions), confirmation (declarative questions); repetition was used for reinforcement, while code-switching was used to signal solidarity and ethnic identity. The police-suspect interrogation is a distinct type of discourse as almost all the interactions tilt towards unraveling secrets to a particular crime. The discursive strategies are characteristic of a policesuspect interrogation and they are used to harness the discourse at hand.