Otedola Bridge tanker explosion: 9 bodies identified through DNA

The Commissioner for Health, Jide Idris, said that 11 families had shown up at Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, LSD&FC, for testing and only 9 families had been matched.

The commissioner stated that this was the first time unidentified victims of a mass disaster had been successfully identified locally using DNA technology. And that the identification process was completed in less than 4 weeks after the incident as against over 6 months when the practice was to take samples abroad for analysis.

“On July 5 2018, samples from the incident were picked up by LSD&FC staff from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Forensic Pathologist, under the secured chain of custody,” said Mr Idris.

“Reference DNA profiles were generated at LSD&FC from representative family members and compared to the DNA profiles generated from the victims’ samples received from the Forensic Pathologist.

“Based on the DNA analysis performed at LSD&FC, all victim samples were successfully matched to relatives’ samples. Nine bodies have been successfully matched to nine families, out of the 11 families that showed up at LSD&FC.

“They are now ready to be handed over to the rightful families for necessary burial arrangements.”