Lagos Awards Contract for Toxicology Section
The Lagos State Government says it has awarded the contract for the expansion of the operations of the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre to include a world-class forensic toxicology and chemistry section.
The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, said on Wednesday that the toxicology and chemistry section was informed by the growing cases of homicide and suspicious deaths related to substance, alcohol abuse, drug-related accidents and deaths, as well as suspected cases of poisoning.
Kazeem said, “The award of this contract is in fulfilment of the promise made by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at the opening of the centre in September 2017, when he promised that the state would expand the scope of operations of the centre to include forensic toxicology and chemistry, latent and trace evidence and firearms and toolmark, among others.”The commissioner said the section would be ready for opening in the third quarter of 2018, adding that it would make Lagos one of the leading centres for forensics in Africa.
He said the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre had handled cases, including suspicious death investigations and analysis of human remains exhumed to resolve inheritance disputes.
“The centre in the three months of operation has received over 150 requests for forensic analysis from within and outside Nigeria, while over 35 cases have been resolved,” the Attorney General said.
By: Sesan Olufowobi
The Punch News
