As part of on-going response to the security challenges facing the country, President Goodluck Jonathan, has inaugurated a Presidential Committee to assess the state of Forensic and Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) laboratories available currently for use by the Nigeria Police and other security agencies.
Besides, the Committee is also charged with advising the federal government on the modalities for upgrading the available ones and the propriety, technical and financial implications of establishing new ones in line with technical and professional standards obtainable worldwide.
President Jonathan, while inaugurating the Committee on Monday in Abuja, decried the absence of modern and technically up-to-date forensic laboratories in the country which he noted has hampered crime investigations by the police and other security agencies.
He pointed out that the country cannot continue to depend on other countries for forensic services, also directed the Committee to examine all laws relating to forensic services in the country, with a view to bringing them up-to-date, especial as they concern the regulation of private forensic practices.
The President who was represented by the Committee’s chairman, and Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade, expressed the readiness of the federal government to make adequate investment in the establishment and equipment of forensic laboratories to keep up with rising crime rates occasioned by urbanization.
Emphasising that the establishment of modern forensic laboratories would greatly enhance the operations of the Nigeria Police and other security agencies especially in scene-of-crime, forgery, DNA and paternity investigations and also facilitate their prosecutions, while also assisting neighbouring countries with similar services.
He directed all data collection agencies including the Police, Immigration Services, the Nigeria Customs Services, the Prisons, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), National Identity Management Commission amongst others to work towards data integration in order to facilitate crime detection and prosecution by the security agencies.
The Committee which has about one month to submit its report has its membership drawn from all the security services, the Presidency and the office of the Solicitor-General of the Federation.
