In furtherance of its
commitment to the criminal justice sector reforms and take the fight against
crime to a greater level, the Lagos State Government on Tuesday announced that
it has concluded plans to establish the first ever high-powered DNA Forensic Laboratory
in Nigeria which will take off within the next six to twelve months.
The lab, which would be
called the Lagos State DNA Forensics Centre (LSDFC), when fully operational,
would fulfill an unmet need for DNA profiling which is a unique forensic technique
that is now being used all over the world.
Addressing journalists
at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa on Tuesday, the State Attorney
General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, said the
establishment of the centre was another eloquent testimony of Governor
Akinwunmi Ambode’s sincerity and seriousness towards fighting all forms of
criminality.
Kazeem, who addressed
the media alongside senior officials of the Ministry, said Governor Ambode had
been at the vanguard of the war against domestic, sexual and violent crimes,
and that the centre was geared towards vigorous justice sector reforms.
He recalled the
ground-breaking donation of equipment worth N4.8 billion to the Nigerian
Police, the Light Up Lagos Project, and the recent solidarity visit of the
Governor to crime flash points like the Isawo area of Ikorodu where criminals
have been terrorizing innocent citizens, among others as further proofs of the
Governor’s determination to tackle crime.
Speaking on the
importance of the forensic centre, the Commissioner said the facility which
would be driven by the Ministry of Justice with active support of the Governor,
will focus on DNA analysis to support the justice sector in diverse areas such
as “collection and preserving reference and evidentiary DNA which can later be
used in identifying criminals; decoding familial relationships of individuals
which could also be a tool for the judicial system; and identifying victims and
remains after natural and manmade calamities.”
Kazeem also explained
that DNA profiling is an extraction of DNA from body fluids, semen, nails, hair
and other DNA generic sources, adding that the centre would greatly help to
controvert evidence of alibi and confirm physical presence of suspects at the
scene of a crime and the origin of DNA to such suspects.
He said: “Even though
the role of DNA in forensics, law enforcement and the justice sector is well
known globally, a high-powered DNA analysis centre is not available in Nigeria.
This means that most, if not all the DNA testing needs are performed outside
Nigeria, a situation that leads to longer turnaround times and an overall
higher cost of bringing closure to investigation and prosecution of crimes.”
He said when
operational, the centre will serve the DNA needs of the state, members of the
public, other states and neighbouring countries, saying it would be of
international standard which all stakeholders including security agencies would
benefit from.
On the areas of focus,
Kazeem said the Centre would be deployed for criminal investigation to identify
criminals with incredible accuracy and exonerate suspects mistakenly accused or
convicted of crimes.
The Centre, according
to the Commissioner, would also aid investigation on domestic and sexual
violence cases, boost family and paternity proceedings, and help in identifying
victims of natural and manmade disasters.
The Commissioner
expressed optimism that the Centre would be a unique solution to fighting crime
in the quest of the present administration for a safer and secured Lagos,
adding, “Lagos is a unique place with a unique Governor who has continued and
will continue to provide unique solutions.”
He further said the
government was partnering with experts in the DNA field on the project, who
would build, operate and transfer to government after about two years, a period
within which the officials of the state must have been trained on how to run
the Centre.
Fielding questions on
the challenge of collecting database for the centre, Kazeem said data collated
along the line, would be stored, and that other government ministries,
departments and agencies would equally collaborate with the Ministry of Justice
to effectively deliver on the mandate of the Centre.
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