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 12 months.
The lab, which would be called the Lagos State DNA Forensics
Centre (LSDFC), when fully operational, will 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,
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.
Mr. 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.”
Mr. 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 would 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, Mr. 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 Center 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, Mr. 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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