Hardworking Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has said that the resolution of crimes, paternity and other security issues will be easier with the inauguration of the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre. The new centre, which the governor said would be manned by competent hands would make easier for security agencies among other organs of government to carry out criminal investigations.
Speaking at the ceremony to mark the inauguration of the centre on in Lagos yeaterday, Ambode said using technology to solve crime was the modern trend. According to him, the opening of the centre located on Odunlami Street on Lagos Island, was a manifestation of his policy to make the state safe for residents and investors alike.
Hear him, “From the domestic front to our places of work, the use of technology has become a way of life. That is why we approved this project, which is an effective way of ensuring quick dispensation of justice.”
Speaking further, Ambode who has surprised Lagosians with his transformational leadership style of governance said, “The DNA centre has the capacity to provide the police, prosecutors, defence attorneys and private citizens with crime scene processing, serological screening for blood and semen, DNA analysis of bone, teeth and hair; maternal and paternal relationship DNA analysis, paternal and maternal ancestry DNA analysis.” According to him, the government of Lagos State would soon build the centre’s capacity in the areas of toxicology, trace evidence and controlled substance analysis, as well as fingerprint and latent prints, among others.
Lending his voice to the massive development, which is another first for Lagos State, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, added that the centre would also assist the state to have a reliable DNA database. Also speaking, the Consul General of the United States Embassy in Lagos, Mr. John Bray, said the centre would enhance justice and progress, adding that it was the first in West Africa just as the state police command’s Acting Commissioner of Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal, said the police in the state would reopen unresolved high-profile cases frustrated by lack of solid evidence.
