High Crime Rate: Inspector General of Police Calls for National DNA Database

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar has advised the Nigerian government to acquire DNA database for all the citizens in the country in order to bring down the rate of crime in the country.

The IGP made the call during a two-day DNA forensics colloquium, titled; From Crime Scene to the Courtroom, held at the University of Lagos. Speaking through the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Forensic Science Service), Mr Ovie Oyokomino, the IGP said that, if this is introduced, the rate of crime in the country will be reduced to the barest minimum as there will be no hiding place for anyone who commits crime, adding, “The issue of Boko Haram insurgence would have been a thing of the past.”

Pointing out that some officers of the police force have been sent on training courses for this purpose, the police IG informed of some successes that have been recorded in this line in the country in recent times. According to him, “We have used DNA to solve a number of cases. In 2007, we used DNA test to identify the killer of the Dutch woman who was murdered in Ikoyi. Even as we speak, we have cases that the public may be helpless saying that the police is not doing anything. But, we are using DNA test to arrive at the proper identification and prosecution of the offenders.”

The Police Force boss also sponsored 20 police officers to the programme, which was heavily attended by University dons and experts from Africa and the United States and they all spoke with one voice asking the Nigerian government to acquire DNA database in order to help check the rate of crime in the country.