Lagos Opens Nigeria’s First DNA Forensic Lab

Lagos State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem has revealed that Lagos State Government has completed the construction of the first ever high-powered DNA Forensic Laboratory in Nigeria. The project which was approved last year by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has resume “skeletal” operations and will be commissioned in coming weeks.

At a recent press briefing, Kazeem disclosed through the State’s Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs Funlola Odunlami, that “The DNA forensic centre just opened this month. We are yet to commission it but it has been opened and it is a DNA crime forensic lab and at the same time, it is going to deal with other DNA matters like paternity issue. What we are doing now is skeletal work which we started this month.

“The Lagos State Government recognizes the fact that the State is the commercial nerve centre of the sub-Saharan Africa where all races converge for various purposes such as business, hospitality, tourism among others, and has put in place mechanisms that will foster development and promote economic activities in the State by instituting agencies that will attend to matters relating to Land Grabbers, Special Task Force, donation of police vehicles for security, introduction of DNA Forensic laboratory to archive blood samples of criminals, among others. All these actions are geared toward enhancing peace in Lagos State.