The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, has said
50 per cent of homicide cases in the state are trumped-up
charges.
![image](/2021/07/Justice-Ejembi-Eko-1.jpg")
![image](/2021/07/LawPavilion0.jpg")
He, therefore, urged that coroner’s inquests should be expedited
in criminal cases in the state.
![image](/2021/07/escrow-service1.jpg")
Justice Alogba stated this at a two-day workshop organised by
the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, Justice Mojisola Dada, at the
Lagos State Judicial Training Institute, Ikeja.
The workshop – themed, ‘The Coroners’ System Law in the 21st
century Lagos,’ – was attended by the top brass of the legal system
in the state as well as members of the medical profession,
including the state Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi.
Participants highlighted the problems plaguing the system in the
state and proposed effective measures to improve on it.
Justice Alogba said, “Fifty per cent of the homicide cases in
the state are trumped-up charges.
“Even when these victims are eventually acquitted of the
trumped-up charges, no law provides people like them with
compensation.”
In her lecture, Justice Lateefat Okunnu of the Ikeja High Court
said there was the need for synergy between the coroner, the
officer in charge, and the medical examiner of a district, saying
this helped to foster effectiveness in carrying out their
duties.
The Chief Pathologist of the Lagos State University Teaching
Hospital, Prof John Obafunwa, lamented the dearth of crime scene
knowledge among police officers.
He said, “After a crime, there’s a format for removing bodies at
the scene. It is imperative that the crime scene is cordoned off
and a coroner is called.
“But what we have most times is that after a crime, the police
remove the bodies from the scene of the crime and bring them to us,
which makes our work in identifying the cause of death nearly
impossible.”
In response to this, the representative of the Lagos State
Police Command, CSP Oseni Razak, highlighted some of the challenges
hampering the police in carrying out their duties at crime scenes,
especially those that involve questionable deaths.
“There are 157 police divisions in Lagos State and the majority
of the police officers are general duty staff members. Some
well-trained staff members might not even be at the right duty
posts and can be transferred out of the state at a moment’s notice.
This in no small way affects the effectiveness of the police,” he
said.
He further lamented that the lack of essential items prevented
the police from carrying out their job.
“Even materials as small as gloves aren’t made available for
investigating officers and this in no small way prevents the police
from doing their best,” he said.
The Commissioner for Health, Abayomi, stressed the need for more
education for both medical and legal practitioners with regards to
the coroner system.
“There’s a large level of ignorance on when to request an
autopsy, so a training like this can help provide such knowledge as
well as teach medical and legal practitioners that there are
consequences for their mistakes,” he said.
The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, has said
50 per cent of homicide cases in the state are trumped-up
charges.
He, therefore, urged that coroner’s inquests should be expedited
in criminal cases in the state.
Justice Alogba stated this at a two-day workshop organised by
the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, Justice Mojisola Dada, at the
Lagos State Judicial Training Institute, Ikeja.
The workshop – themed, ‘The Coroners’ System Law in the 21st
century Lagos,’ – was attended by the top brass of the legal system
in the state as well as members of the medical profession,
including the state Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi.
Participants highlighted the problems plaguing the system in the
state and proposed effective measures to improve on it.
Justice Alogba said, “Fifty per cent of the homicide cases in
the state are trumped-up charges.
“Even when these victims are eventually acquitted of the
trumped-up charges, no law provides people like them with
compensation.”
In her lecture, Justice Lateefat Okunnu of the Ikeja High Court
said there was the need for synergy between the coroner, the
officer in charge, and the medical examiner of a district, saying
this helped to foster effectiveness in carrying out their
duties.
The Chief Pathologist of the Lagos State University Teaching
Hospital, Prof John Obafunwa, lamented the dearth of crime scene
knowledge among police officers.
He said, “After a crime, there’s a format for removing bodies at
the scene. It is imperative that the crime scene is cordoned off
and a coroner is called.
“But what we have most times is that after a crime, the police
remove the bodies from the scene of the crime and bring them to us,
which makes our work in identifying the cause of death nearly
impossible.”
In response to this, the representative of the Lagos State
Police Command, CSP Oseni Razak, highlighted some of the challenges
hampering the police in carrying out their duties at crime scenes,
especially those that involve questionable deaths.
“There are 157 police divisions in Lagos State and the majority
of the police officers are general duty staff members. Some
well-trained staff members might not even be at the right duty
posts and can be transferred out of the state at a moment’s notice.
This in no small way affects the effectiveness of the police,” he
said.
He further lamented that the lack of essential items prevented
the police from carrying out their job.
“Even materials as small as gloves aren’t made available for
investigating officers and this in no small way prevents the police
from doing their best,” he said.
The Commissioner for Health, Abayomi, stressed the need for more
education for both medical and legal practitioners with regards to
the coroner system.
“There’s a large level of ignorance on when to request an
autopsy, so a training like this can help provide such knowledge as
well as teach medical and legal practitioners that there are
consequences for their mistakes,” he said.