Lagos Assembly passes bill to establish DNA, forensic centre

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday passed a bill to establish Lagos State Deoxyribo-Nucleic Acid (DNA) and Forensic Centre into law to support criminal investigations, law enforcement, and preservation of evidence for the judicial system and for other connected purposes.

The bill was passed after it scaled through the third reading and the lawmakers in attendance gave their approvals at plenary.

A report on the bill had earlier been adopted at a sitting presided over by Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.

The objectives of the centre include: providing for the use and regulation of DNA-based technology in Lagos State to carry out profiling or analysis; carrying out other forensic disciplines including, 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 chief press secretary to the speaker, Eromosele Ebhomele, said the bill gives powers to the centre to take specified bodily samples from certain categories of persons for DNA analysis, collect, examine, document and preserve evidence which can later be used in identifying offenders amongst others.