Officer, It’s the Devil’s Work: The Pragmatics of Defence in Police-Suspect Interrogations in Nigeria

In the Nigerian context, the clause "Officer, it's the devil's work" serves as a culturally resonant defense mechanism, reflecting deeply embedded societal and religious beliefs. Hence, this paper examines the pragmatics of defense in police-suspect interrogations in Nigeria. Within Nigeria's legal and cultural context, suspects often employ language to frame their actions and provide justifications under the intense psychological pressures of interrogations. The paper adopts Grice's maxims (quality, quantity, relevance and manner) as the theoretical framework for analysis. This framework is considered appropriate as it offers a structured lens for examining the pragmatic strategies employed by suspects during interrogations. Four documented cases involving offences such as kidnapping, rape, grievous harm, and murder were purposefully selected from online news articles, social media reports, and the transcript of a recorded police-suspect interrogation video. Findings revealed that the recurring invocation of "the devil’s work" demonstrates how language can serve as a tool for psychological evasion and manipulation during interrogations. This clause not only shifts blame to an external force but also invokes a cultural framework that resonates with both the speaker and the audience, thereby softening the perception of culpability. The study concludes that these strategies employed by suspects are not merely attempts to evade guilt; they also serve as tactics to manage the psychological pressures of the interrogation process and, importantly, to shift the burden of proof back onto law enforcement.