HEBy SCM Correspondent
LAGOS — The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba, have made a strong case for a paradigm shift toward science-driven criminal investigations to fix the critical evidentiary gaps stalling the prosecution of criminal cases across Nigeria.
They made these assertions on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Global Forensics Summit.
The event was organized by the International Academy of Forensics in collaboration with The Guardian Newspaper, Nigeria, under the theme: “Forensic Investigation and Criminal Intelligence: Strengthening the Administration of Justice in the Age of Technological Advancement.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Aderinsola Olanrewaju, revealed that the state is aggressively investing in forensic science and digital security.
This, he noted, is aimed at bridging the “forensic gap” that frequently cripples the criminal justice system.
According to the governor, thousands of criminal cases across the country collapse not due to a lack of suspects or witnesses, but because investigators fail to produce credible, scientifically verifiable evidence capable of withstanding rigorous judicial scrutiny.
”The gap between what investigators uncover and what prosecutors can prove is the forensic gap. Closing that gap is precisely why this summit matters,” Sanwo-Olu stated.
He added that as a commercial hub of over 22 million residents, Lagos faces sophisticated 21st-century crimes—including cybercrime, identity theft, and organized financial manipulation.
”The crime scene of the 21st century is often a server, a mobile device, or a financial transaction rather than a physical location,” Sanwo-Olu noted, while highlighting that Lagos is currently executing the second phase of its DNA and Forensic Centre to cover toxicology and forensic chemistry.
He also revealed that Lagos has set up the nation’s first sub-national Cybersecurity Operations Centre for real-time threat monitoring.
Delivering the keynote address titled “The Administration of Justice in Nation-Building,” the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba, represented by Justice Olutoyin Atinuke Ipaye, described justice as the bedrock of sustainable national development.
Justice Alogba warned that conventional investigative methods are no longer sufficient to combat tech-driven crimes. He identified six pillars through which justice builds a nation—including upholding the rule of law, protecting fundamental rights, and encouraging investment—but lamented that systemic delays, underfunding, and corruption continue to plague the sector.
Corroborating this stance, the welcome address speaker, Emeritus Professor Dele Olowokudejo of the University of Lagos, urged participants to forge strategic partnerships.
He emphasized that while rapid technological advancement has fueled transnational organized crime, innovations like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics offer powerful tools to counter these threats.
In a deeply analytical lead paper titled ‘Dissecting the Interaction between Forensic Investigation and Administration of Justice’, retired Judge and legal scholar, Justice (Prof.) Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, provided a breakdown of the legal frameworks governing forensics, including the Constitution, the Evidence Act, and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
Justice Omolaye-Ajileye cautioned investigators to respect Chapter IV of the Constitution, which guarantees fundamental rights to liberty, fair hearing, and privacy. He warned that any forensic evidence gathered in violation of these rights risks outright rejection by the courts.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s judicial history, the retired jurist recalled the legal uncertainty prior to the Enactment of the Evidence Act 2011, when the judiciary was divided into conservative and progressive blocks over the admissibility of electronic evidence.
While noting that Section 84 of the 2011 Act resolved this by legalizing electronic evidence, he reminded stakeholders of the strict statutory conditions required, including the mandatory Certificate of Compliance under Section 84(4) to authenticate digital data.
Justice Omolaye-Ajileye further praised the Police Act 2020 for modernizing law enforcement through specialized forensic training, and highlighted the standard safeguards under the ACJA—such as the mandatory video-recording of confessional statements to eliminate allegations of torture.
He listed critical categories of forensic evidence that Nigerian courts now heavily rely upon, which include:
Physical & Biological Evidence: Weapons, clothing, DNA, blood, and fingerprints.
Specialized Science: Ballistics, toxicology (poisons/drugs), and medical autopsies.
Digital & Financial Forensics: Cyber forensics and forensic accounting, which he described as indispensable tools for tracing illicit financial flows and dismantling corporate fraud networks.
The summit concluded with calls from all speakers for intensified collaboration among judges, lawyers, forensic experts, and law enforcement agencies to restore public confidence in Nigeria’s justice institutions.