Enugu State has commissioned a forensic DNA laboratory that Governor Peter Mbah says will leave wrongdoers with nowhere to disappear to, arguing that his government can now anticipate crimes, trace those behind them and secure convictions.
Built jointly by the state, Godfrey Okoye University and the Nigeria DNA Learning Centre, the Centre for DNA Forensics and Criminal Investigation was unveiled at the university campus in Ugwuomu, Nike. Attorney General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, Police chief Olatunji Disu and Vice Chancellor Christian Anieke each praised the facility as a boost to both national security and the courts.
The governor drew a sharp line between investors, who he said remained welcome, and anyone bent on threatening public safety, telling the latter group plainly that flight would no longer guarantee escape. He cast the laboratory as one of his administration’s flagship security investments under its Citizens’ Charter, noting that none of the charter’s goals could be met without safety.
Mbah said biological residue left at any scene could now be captured and turned into courtroom evidence, closing a gap that had previously allowed many cases to stall for want of scientific tools. He asked residents to keep their distance from crime scenes and let trained specialists work, warning that a single contaminated trace, whether a fingerprint, hair or blood sample, could destroy an entire case.
Though sited in Enugu, the centre would be available to agencies, professionals and governments elsewhere, he added, describing it as a contribution to a justice system grounded in evidence rather than guesswork. He also credited President Bola Tinubu’s fiscal reforms with freeing up funds for state infrastructure, and welcomed the transmission of the State Police Bill to the National Assembly as a sign of support for state level policing.
Fagbemi said the laboratory aligned Nigeria with advanced jurisdictions that had embedded forensic science in their justice systems, while Disu said it would sharpen investigations into homicide, abduction, terrorism, sexual offences and trafficking. Founding Director George Ude said the institutions aimed to anchor investigations in scientific fact and to train officers, scientists and young researchers.
