The Lagos State Chief Coroner, Justice Mojisola Dada, has called for the identification of missing persons between October 19 and 27, 2020 at the Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
This is coming weeks after the shooting of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki toll plaza in the state.
It is yet to be ascertained if the bodies were connected to the alleged massacre that happened on the 20th of October, as allegation of missing persons trailed the aftermath of the incident.
An investigation by CNN published on Wednesday alleged there were deaths from the Lekki shooting.
In a public announcement issued on Wednesday by the Chief Coroner, family members whose loved ones got missing between October 19 – 27 are to visit LASUTH to identify the corpses.
“This is to notify the General Public that the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, Hon Justice M. A. Dada (Mrs.) pursuant to Section 15, Coroner’s System Law of Lagos State, 2015 the Pathology Team would want all those who have lost loved ones between 19th – 27th October 2020 (that is, next-of-kin of the victims) to provide relevant information that would assist the identification exercise.
“The next-of-kin should kindly contact the Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Oba Akinjobi Way, Ikeja for the identification exercise of the Deceased.
“The next-of-kin will be required to provide means of identification of themselves and their loved ones. Nationally recognized means of identification such as International passport, Driver’s license, National ID card or LASSRA ID Card shall be accepted.
“Only the parents, siblings or children, in that decreasing order of preference are expected to come to LASUTH. The hours of visit shall be from 10:00am to 2:00pm for the next two (2) weeks starting from the date of this Announcement.
“Please note that these next-of-kin shall be required to come with the following: clear photographs of the missing person; their own upper body photographs; and also provide samples for Reference DNA Profile, where necessary.
“This profile will be compared with those already collected at autopsy from the deceased. 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.”
