Lagos Assembly Gives Legal Backing to State DNA And Forensic Centre

Lagos State House of Assembly has passed a bill which legalizes the State’s Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) and Forensic centre.

Gatekeepers News reports that the bill was passed by the House on Monday in a unanimous decision by all the lawmakers in attendance.

In September 2017, Akinwunmi Ambode, former Lagos governor, unveiled the state DNA forensic centre which is the first State-owned DNA and Forensic centre in West Africa.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of the State, is expected to implement the second phase of the state’s forensic programmes, especially as it relates to the development of forensic toxicology and forensic chemistry units.

In July 2021, the Lagos House of Assembly organised a public hearing on the bill to support the establishment of a DNA and forensic centre.

Victor Akande, chairman of the House of Assembly Committee on Judiciary at the time, had said “what we are trying to do is to make sure that there are laws guiding this centre”.

The bill will make provision for the setup of a DNA Database, DNA Index System as well as DNA bank for storage of reference DNA samples for the purpose of DNA analysis to collect, examine, document and preserve evidence which can later be used by the centre in the identification of offenders, among others.

The bill is expected to make provisions for DNA profiles to be used “in the investigation of crime and the use of such profiles in proving the innocence or guilt of persons”, and also “provide for the conditions under which the samples for DNA profiles may be retained or destroyed”.

The bill also allows the centre to decode family ties and relationships of individuals in order to establish identity, as well as the identification of abandoned or disputed children, and other related issues.

Other Forensic activities expected to be carried out by the centre include “toxicology, drug chemistry, fingerprint examination, firearms examination, tool mark examination, ballistics, trace evidence analysis, questioned document examination and digital forensics to obtain evidence relevant to the investigation of criminal offences”. The House Stated.