A forensic expert, Dr Richard Somiari, has informed an Ikeja Coroner’s Court that one of the five hitherto unidentified victims of the November 1, 2021, Ikoyi building collapse has now been identified.
The coroner is conducting an inquest into the circumstances leading to the death of victims that died when a 21-storey high-rise on Gerrard Road in the Ikoyi area of Lagos collapsed last year.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Somiari, who is the Director of the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, appeared before the coroner on Friday to testify.
Led in evidence by the counsel for the Lagos State Government, Mr Akin George, Somiari said he received news on his way to the inquest that a DNA match had been established for one out of the five unidentified deceased.
“We received 57 unique samples. In disasters, there could be dismemberment and we may not have 57 bodies.
“We got a total of 102 reference samples from all families that presented and still counting because we might still need some more samples.
“Using those reference samples, we were previously able to identify 45 bodies.
“There are three bodies that have generated DNA profiles but no reference profiles have matched those profiles.
“In such a situation, we will invite additional family members or use of personal belongings like toothbrush to establish identity,” Somiari said.
Somiari, however, said the process of identifying the remaining unknown deceased was ongoing and additional biological material would be used to identify the bodies.
He noted that the likelihood of a DNA mismatch for all that died in the building collapse was very slim.
The coroner, Mr Oyetade Komolafe, adjourned further proceedings till February 25.
