Forensic Laboratory Still Far From Reality – LASG

Government of Lagos State said on Wednesday that expertise required to set up and successfully run a forensic laboratory in Nigeria is not 100 percent available locally.

Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Adebiyi Fatai Mabadeje made the revelation while speaking at the annual ministerial press briefing in Lagos.

He said that the forensic laboratory which the state has been talking about was still at the planning stage without any physical infrastructure on ground. According to him, the state government has done need analysis. “There is nothing going on at the moment. There is no physical infrastructure yet”, he said.

He however assured that the project will assist the judiciary in prosecution of criminal cases by authenticating evidence of prosecutors to get convictions and that it will help to reduce crime to the barest minimum and unresolved cases of crimes.
Mabadeje explained that five hectares of land has been acquired for the project at Gayingbo Beach in Badagry West Local Council Development Area and that compensation has been paid.

“Soil test for the site has been carried out and the report submitted”, he said, adding that the state tenders board has already approved perimeter fencing of the land while Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study is ongoing.

The commissioner said that there is no forensic laboratory in black Africa except South Africa adding that it would require a lot of financing from the banks.
On currently security situation, the commissioner said the state plans to roll out 1000 Close Circuit Television(CCTV) cameras in the state in addition to the 1000 already deployed all over the state in conjunction with the Federal Government under the National Public Security Communication Systems(NPSCS).

He said the state has in addition acquired 27 functional collapsible video walls to interpret camera visuals.

“The CCTV cameras are capable of showing time and dates; it can zoom in and out, can show faces clearly, take snap shots, rotate 360 degrees and show pre-recorded video clips”, he said, adding that the redeployment of the cameras is not an assurance that crimes will not be committed but that it will make the jobs of security personnel easer in detecting and apprehending criminal.