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Tag: John Obafunwa

  • Danish husband’s DNA ‘found on murdered wife, daughter’s clothes’

    A Lagos High Court in Igbosere on Tuesday evening heard that some of the biological material found on the night wears of a murdered Nigerian woman and her child, matched that of a Dane, Peter Nielsen.

    Forensics scientist, Dr Richard Somiari, told Justice Mobolanle Okikiolu-Ighile that Nielsen’s DNA profiles matched that of the male DNA samples found on the nightgown worn by his Nigerian singer wife, Zainab.

    He said Nielsen’s DNA profiles also matched some of the male DNA samples found on the pyjamas worn by his three-and-half-year daughter, Petra.

    Somiari, Centre Director for the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre (LSD&FC), testified as the final prosecution witness in Nielsen’s trial for the April 5, 2018 death of Zainab and Petra.

    The Lagos State Government accused the 54-year-old Dane of smothering Zainab and Petra to death at about 3:45am at 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Towers, Banana Island Ikoyi, Lagos.

    Five people were said to be in the apartment on the night of the incident: Nielsen, Zainab, Petra and two of Zainab’s step-sisters; Gift and Favour Madaki.

    Nielsen was arraigned last June 13, on a two-count murder charge, in accordance with Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    He pleaded not guilty, following which the judge ordered his remand for trial.

    At the commencement of proceedings Tuesday, Somiari, who was led in evidence by Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Titilayo Shitta-Bey, explained the LSD&FC’s involvement in the case.

    He said: “The Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre was contacted on April 9, 2018 by the Nigerian Police to help process a crime scene. We responded on April 10 and visited the crime scene at Bella Vista Towers, Banana Island, Plot 4, Flat 17.”

    Somiari said he and three members of his team, a police team, an anatomy and forensic pathologist from the University of Lagos Prof John Obafunwa, a representative of the Danish Embassy in Nigeria and a legal representative were at Bella Vista Towers.

    The witness, who also holds a degree in Crime Scene Processing from a United States university, testified that after riding the elevator to Flat 17, they found “No sign of forced entry. The safe in the house, there was no evidence that it was tampered with.”

    Somiari said his team observed stains, “which were eventually confirmed to be blood”, in the kitchen. Certain areas, he noted, appeared to have been cleaned.

    “There was evidence of selective cleaning,” he added.

    The team returned at night to deploy equipment which operated in the dark. They collected evidence and took it to the LSD&FC for analysis, the court heard.

    Prodded by Shitta-Bey, the witness explained why he suspected that blood had been wiped off.

    He said: “If there is no visible sign of blood and after you spray Luminol, blood is revealed, it suggests that there was an attempt to clean off the blood.”

    Luminol, The Nation learnt, is used by forensic investigators to detect trace amounts of blood at crime scenes, as it reacts with the iron in haemoglobin.

    Somiari noted that their investigation of the crime scene suggested that both corpses were moved, “and some contact evidence should be on the body. You would expect Zainab’s gown to reveal some information.

    “We identified male profiles on the nightgown at multiple locations. We found that these profiles were at multiple locations on the gown – neck region, upper chest area. That’s an indication of a struggle. The patterns were unique in the sense that they contained profiles that we could match to a single contributor.”

    Nielsen’s counsel, Olasupo Shasore SAN, contested Somiari’s view that the location of the samples indicated that there had been “a struggle.”

    But the judge overruled the objection of the former Lagos Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

    Earlier, Somiari said he had contacted the police and requested for Nielsen’s samples that they had “so that we could compare.”

    He added: “We were able to match the defendant’s DNA profiles with the male DNA from the locations we found male DNA profiles on Zainab’s nightgown.”

    The witness said the outcome was similar with respect to Petra’s pyjamas.

    The scientist added that the scrapings  taken from the right hand of Zainab’s fingernails also matched Nielsen’s DNA profile

    He said his team also considered the likelihood that the profile found on the crime scene were unrelated.

    Somiari said: “The likelihood of someone else, not Mr Nielsen, to have contributed to the DNA profile, – Item 11A in our report, i.e. nail scrapings from Zainab – is one in seven billion.”

    He noted that for another spot on Zainab’s gown, which DNA also matched Nielsen’s, “the statistics, in this case, was astronomical. The likelihood to find another person with that same profile was one in seven quadrillions.”

    Following the conclusion of his testimony, Justice Okikiolu-Ighile adjourned till July 3 for cross-examination.

  • Synagogue: Victims died from traumatic asphyxia – Pathologist

    Synagogue: Victims died from traumatic asphyxia – Pathologist

    A Coronary inquest into last month’s building collapse‎ at the Synagogue Church of All Nations on Tuesday heard that victims of the disaster died from traumatic asphyxia.

    The Lagos State Chief Medical Examiner (CME) and forensic pathologist, Prof. John Obafunwa, made the disclosure while giving evidence before Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe‎.

    Obafunwa said though the conclusive medical report‎ was not ready yet, there are reasons from autopsy to ascribe the cause of deaths to traumatic asphyxia as a result of crush injury.

    ‎He told the court that a total of 116 people died from the incident, contrary to the official 86 given by the rescue agencies and the 115 death toll reported‎ long after the operation ended.

    Obafunwa stated that 116th body was brought in on September 22, after a patient, who sustained injury during the disaster died at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

    He told the Coroner that 46 bodies were deposited at Isolo General Hospital Mortuary, six at LASUTH mortuary (before the death recorded on September 22) and 63 at the Mainland Hospital Mortuary, Yaba.

    The CME said the corpses at the various hospitals were tagged specially, with each having its location as part of the tag before autopsy commenced.

    Giving a chronicle explanation on the role his team played, Obafunwa told the court that autopsy of external appearance, clothing and photographs were taken, with internal examination of various injuries also documented.

    The pathologist stated that only five families totalling 10 persons have turned up for DNA samples at the state pathology department, expressing fears that case of missing persons will arise if more families do not come forward to donate samples for identification.

    He disclosed that some of the bodies were already decomposing because of heat.

     

  • Subsidy removal protest: ‘victim died of haemorrhage’

    Subsidy removal protest: ‘victim died of haemorrhage’

    Lagos High Court, Igbosere, Lagos, heard yesterday that a victim of the 2012 anti-fuel subsidy removal protest, Adedamola Daramola, died from excessive bleeding caused by severe damage to his blood vessel after he sustained a missile injury.

    Prosecution witness, Prof. John Obafunwa, a consultant pathologist, told Justice Olabisi Akinlade that though no bullet was found on the deceased during autopsy, two holes that pierced through his right thigh were evidence that something forceful hit him.

    Obafunwa was being led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Olabisi Ogungbesan, in the trial of a former Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Segun Fabunmi, for the deceased’s murder on January 9, 2012.

    In his evidence-in-chief, Obafunwa told the court that autopsy was conducted on Daramola on January 11 between 9.30am and 1.14pm.

    “Being a gunshot victim, the body was first x-rayed for external objects, such as bullets, but there was none on him. Apart from the bruises on the victim’s face and back, two holes were observed on his right thigh.

    “The holes are entry and exit points. The hole at the rear part of the thigh is smaller than the one in front,” said Obafunwa.

    The pathologist said the holes could be described as “a missile injury, which means anything projected with force or velocity and it can be bullet, arrows or shrapnel.

    “The death of the victim can be attributed to severe bleeding and damage to the major blood vessel of the right thigh, sequel to a missile injury involving the right thigh.”

    But counsel to the defendant, George Oguntade (SAN), during a cross-examination, averred that the witness only likened the injury to missile injury and did not say it was caused by a gun.

    Oguntade put it to Obafunwa that Daramola would have lived if he had received prompt medical attention.

    The prosecutor sought an adjournment to enable her call on the last prosecution witness.

    Justice Akinlade granted the request and adjourned the matter till July 11.

  • LASU crisis: We’ll put an end to violence, says Ikuforiji

    LASU crisis: We’ll put an end to violence, says Ikuforiji

    •Lawmakers assess damage

    Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has vowed to end the violent crisis in the Lagos State University (LASU).

    Speaking yesterday at LASU Ojo campus during an on- the- spot assessment of the damage in the institution during the violence last Thursday, the Speaker assured the incident would never repeat itself.

    Ikuforiji, who described the damage done to the administrative block of the school as scary, said it was the grace of God that saved the Vice Chancellor, Professor John Obafunwa and his team from the protesting students.

    He promised that the panel of inquiry the House plans set up would investigate the incident and come up with recommendations.

    The Speaker said: “We are close to seeing the end of crisis in LASU. The last few years have been better than the previous decades.

    “There have been tremendous improvements in LASU. If the right thing is done, we will leave scandalous events behind in LASU.”

    Ikuforiji promised that the House would ensure necessary repairs are carried out in the school and Governor Raji Fashola would be contacted on the matter.

    He expressed fears over the damage done to the office of the VC, especially the vital academic documents destroyed, adding that efforts would be made to re-open the school soon.

    Ikuforiji, however, said that the issue of hostel accommodation for the students would be considered.

    “The purpose of not having hostels in the campus has been defeated. We have told the VC to consider PPP arrangement for the hostels.

    “We are sure hoodlums aggravated the violence, but with hostel accommodation, the students would have been curtailed and it would have been difficult for the hoodlums to infiltrate them,” he said.

    The Speaker and other lawmakers were taken round the areas affected by the incident by the VC and other management staff.

    They were dumbfounded by the damaged vehicles belonging to the VC and another management staff as well as the extent of damage at the administrative block.

    Some students had last Thursday protested over the refusal of the school’s management to open its portal for students who had paid their school fees but had not registered before the exams slated to start on the same day.

    The House subsequently summoned the school’s management, led by the VC and the Students Union Government of the school led by Miss Mojirade Hassan last Friday over the issue.

    After listening to both sides for hours, the House condemned the students for their actions and pleaded with the management to open the portal for two days to give those who were yet to register a last chance.

    The Speaker, who read the resolution, warned that such an issue would not be entertained next time and promised to raise a panel of inquiry on the matter.