Ministry Of Health Clears Police Lab For DNA Testing
The Ministry of Health has cleared the Police forensic laboratory to carry out Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing.
Addressing journalists on Monday, the police spokesperson, Fred Enanga said unlike others, the Police laboratory carries out DNA testing for forensic purposes.
“We do carry out DNA testing for forensic purposes to support criminal investigations. The laboratory has been cleared to continue providing forensic DNA testing services as per its mandate and it means our forensic laboratory has been added to the database of gazette facilities for DNA testing services,” Enanga said.
The police spokesperson said the development is an important step in enhancing the criminal justice system in terms of linking suspects to crime and the crime scenes, adding that DNA is more accurate and difficult to dispute than accounts of eyewitnesses.
“This means this laboratory equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and technology will continue to perform a broad range of DNA testing services for evidence material in support of police investigations.”
According to Police, DNA testing services are needed in dead body identification, paternity, maternity, kinship testing and immigration DNA testing among others.
The Ministry of Health earlier this month announced that only two laboratories including MBN and the Government Analytical Laboratory to carry out DNA testing services in the country.
The development comes after a backlash for DNA testing among members of the public so as to determine mostly paternity.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs recently noted that there has been a sudden shoot-up in the number of people seeking DNA services.
“Many people come to our ministry headquarters asking for DNA testing services. The number has quite increased by 70% and last week alone, we received over 50 people looking for services of DNA at the ministry,” Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson, Simon Mundeyi said last month.
Whereas it is expensive, many of those having doubts about the paternity of their children take the risk of carrying out DNA tests.
Experts recently warned that fake DNA results can come due to malpractice by medical workers.
