A forensic expert, Richard Somiari, has informed an Ikeja Coroner’s Court that one of the five hitherto unidentified victims of the November 1, 2021, 21-storey building collapse at Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, has now been identified.

With this, the number of the unidentified victims now stands at four.

Mr Somiari, who is Director of the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, said this on Friday while testifying as the eighth coroner witness at the inquest.

Testifying on Thursday, the seventh coroner witness who is the acting Chief Medical Examiner of Lagos, Sokunle Soyemi, had told the Coroner’s Court that five of the 50 victims were still unidentified.

Led in evidence by the counsel to the Lagos State government, Akin George, the forensic expert said he received news on his way to the inquest that a DNA match had been established for one out of the five unidentified deceased.

“We received 57 unique samples. In disasters, there could be dismemberment and we may not have 57 bodies.

“We got a total of 102 reference samples from all families that presented and still counting because we might still need some more samples.

“Using those reference samples, we were previously able to identify 45 bodies.

“There are three bodies that have generated DNA profiles, but no reference profiles have matched those profiles.

“In such a situation, we will invite additional family members or use of personal belongings like toothbrush to establish identity,” Mr Somiari said.

The Coroner, Oyetade Komolafe, adjourned proceedings until February 25 for continuation of hearing.

(NAN)