The Lagos Forensic Symposium (LFS; www.laforensic.org) organizing invites you to attend the 2022 Symposium. LFS 2022 will be held at The Providence by Mantis, 12A Oba Akinjobi Way, Ikeja, GRA, Lagos, Nigeria, from October 19 – 20, 2022.

LFS is an international forensic symposium organized by the Lagos State Government, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Lagos State DNA & Forensic Center, ITSI – Biosciences, LLC and the German Agency for International Development (GIZ). It provides a platform where leading forensic scientists and other stakeholders interact and exchange knowledge and experience.

The core mission of LFS is to bring law enforcement, judiciary, lawyers, university faculty, forensic scientists, medical doctors, nurses, Immigration services, correctional services, social services, press and other stakeholders together, to discuss local, regional and global crime trends, and exchange information on how forensic science can be applied in the African setting to support the criminal justice system.

Each symposium features leading experts with cognate experience in different aspects of forensics. Over 200 participants from 18 Countries attended the 2021 symposium. Participants included Senior Government Officials, Judges, Police, Emergency Service workers, Forensic Pathologists, Prosecutors, Defense Attorneys, Customs and Immigration Services, Correctional Services, Military, Non-Government Organizations, University Lecturers, Students and Press.

LFS focuses on forensic practice and its application to resolve real cases. Presentations this year will cover the following areas:

• Forensic Evidence in Court
• Murder Investigations
• Sexual Assault Investigations
• Disaster Victim Identification
• Suicide Investigations
• Fire and Accident Investigations

To encourage the participation of stakeholders there is no fee to attend LFS 2022. However, registration is mandatory.  Space is extremely limited so act fast. Registration will close once the number of registered participants hits 130. If you are interested in presenting a paper, please send a title for consideration to info@laforensic.org  no later than September 23, 2022.

Registration is open. To register please go to www.laforensic.org and register by October 14, 2022. Please contact us by email (info@laforensic.org) or phone (+234-814-741-1921) if you have any question.

DNA testing can provide answers to questions, in areas such as biological relationship, genealogy, ancestry, medicine, forensic science and more. Successful and reliable testing requires proper collection and handling of the DNA sample to avoid breakdown, contamination and unreliable results.

As a solution focused company, Concurrent Technologies and Services, along with LSD&FC, is committed to bringing tailored DNA and Forensics solutions closer to individuals and organizations that need it. It is on this premise that we are organizing a specialized training on March 1, 2022, for our strategic DNA Partners in Abuja.

Our partners are reputable hospitals and labs located in various parts of Abuja. They will be adequately trained in many areas including, DNA collection, packaging, preservation, chain-of-custody, and client relations, after which they will become Certified DNA Collection Centers.  

This exercise will ensure that the community they serve will have access to experienced DNA test providers, state-of-the-art technologies as well as accurate and reliable DNA results. It brings our services closer, and makes it easily accessible to our customers in the Federal Capital Territory.

The 5th Annual Lagos Forensic Symposium (LFS) organized by the Lagos State Government, Lagos State DNA & Forensic Center (LSD&FC), GIZ German Embassy, Nigeria  and ITSI-Biosciences, Johnstown, PA, USA took place August 10-11, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns for the health and safety of all, the 2021 Symposium was virtual. You can find the Program Booklet here.

LFS 2021 brought together experts in Forensic Biology, Toxicology, Chemistry, Crime Scene Processing, Crime Scene Investigation, Arson Investigations, Trace Evidence, Forensic Pathology, Prosecution, Defense and Humanitarian Forensics.

Posters and Presentation recordings can be found on the LFS website.

Eight families have showed up for DNA testing in connection with the Otedola Link Bridge fire.

The Head of the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, Dr Richard Somiari, made the disclosure in an interview with the Newsmen on Thursday in Lagos.

Somiari, a forensic expert, said that more families were still expected to visit the facility in connection with the deadly explosion that occurred on June 28.

“There are two categories of people that come for the testing, those who believe strongly that their family member died and needs to be identified.

“The other category includes people who just do not know because the family person is missing.

“So, we will expect that those two categories of people will come.

Somiari said that the duration needed to complete the DNA process and results interpreted could not be ascertained because of protocols that must be followed, due to the magnitude of the accident.

According to him, there are two processes involved, including the actual DNA matching and the process by the pathologist, who takes samples from the remains that were recovered.

“The actual process in our laboratory is fast. The thing is the quality of the sample that is coming from the victim.

“So, until we get those samples from the pathologist we do not know how long it will take.

“If it is significantly degraded, then it means we have to go through multiple steps of isolation and clean up before we do the profile generation.

“These samples are not as clean as reference samples and we do not want to make a mistake in the process.

“We realise that everybody will like to get the result fast and bring a closure to this but at the same time we want to be careful. “

On July 2, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, confirmed that 12 people died in the incident.

Idris said the government would be conducting DNA forensic studies so that the right bodies could be handed over to the appropriate families for proper burial.

According to him, the entire cost of management and treatment of the surviving victims and DNA forensics for the dead and their families would be borne by the state government. (NAN)

Read the story here: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/07/otedola-bridge-fire-8-families-show-up-for-dna-testing/