LAGOS: Coroner calls on relatives to claim bodies of missing persons at Lagos mortuary

THE Lagos State Chief Coroner, Mojisola Dada, has called on members of the public whose family members are missing to contact the Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

In a public announcement issued by Mrs Dada, who doubles as a judge of Lagos State High Court, family members whose loved ones got missing between October 19 to 27 are to visit LASUTH to identify the corpses.

According to the statement the hours of visit are between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the next two weeks.

This announcement comes on the heels of the Lekki shooting incident, where some peaceful protesters were killed, several injured and others missing.

Horde of hoodlums took advantage of the crisis that erupted in the wake of the shootings and caused vandalisation of private and public facilities and looting.

Some people were also reportedly killed during the violence that followed the Lekki shooting.

According to law, a chief coroner investigates “suspicious death” that takes place within his or her locality and subsequent prosecution of persons responsible for the death.

In the public announcement, the chief coroner said the directive is pursuant to Section 15 of the Coroner’s System Law of Lagos State 2015.

Family members are expected to go with valid means of identification which is nationally recognised to be allowed to identify missing loved ones.

 Others items a next-of-kin is expected to  samples produce include: clear photographs of the missing person, their own upper body photographs and for Reference DNA Profile (where necessary)

The statement noted that the DNA profile will be compared with those already collected at autopsy from the deceased.

The statement added, “It is only after a definitive scientific identification that the Bodies of the deceased shall be released by the Office of the Chief Coroner to the next-of-kin for burial.”