Missing persons: Lagos coroner calls for identification of corpses at mortuary

The Lagos State Coroner has called for the identification of missing persons between October 19 and 27, 2020 – days before and after the shooting of #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki tollgate in the state.

This was contained in a public announcement titled, ‘Coroner’s call for the identification of missing persons’, and signed by the Office of the Chief Coroner, Lagos State.

People were asked to go to the Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for the identification of “the deceased”.

It said after a scientific identification, the remains of “the deceased shall be released to the next-of-kin for burial”.

However, it did state if the deceased were killed at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020.

The notice did not also state if the victims’ deaths were related to the #EndSARS protest.

It read, “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 passport, driver’s licence, 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 10:00 am to 2:00 pm 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.”