FORENSIC INVESTIGATORS' SOCIETY, NIGERIA (FISN) TO ENSURE UNIFORM FORENSIC STANDARD AND VALIDATED STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE

 FISN TO ENSURE UNIFORM FORENSIC STANDARD AND VALIDATED STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE

A cross section of the participants at the Annual Forensic Investigators' Conference 2026

The Forensic Investigators’ Society, Nigeria (FISN) had resolved to ensure that uniform forensic standards and validated standard operating procedures were adopted across all forensic disciplines to enhance reliability, reproducibility and evidential integrity in forensic investigation in Nigeria.

This was part of the resolution of the society reached at the end 7th International Conference of the Forensic Investigators’ Society, Nigeria themed Strengthening the Foundation: Infrastructure, Capacity Building and Standardisation in Nigerian Forensic held between Monday 9th and Tuesday 10th February, 2026 at the Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State, Nigeria.

Other resolution reached by members at the end of the conference include accreditation and competence, expert evidence and courtroom practice, capacity building and continuous professional development, ethics and professional responsibility, inter-agency collaboration as well as policy and legislative engagement.

Declaring the conference open, Vice Chancellor, Caleb University, Lagos, Professor Lekan Aiskhia, said strengthen Nigerian justice system through forensic investigation was a means to build competent capacity for the right dispensation of justice in the country.

Allaying the fear of many Nigerians regarding the lopsidedness noticed in the nation’s judicial system, Professor Aiskhia said; “We are in a nation where about 1,200 cases may not actually receive the required judgement because somebody is not having great knowledge of the truth. With the forensic investigation and the process that it entails and the competent capacity building, it is important to say that all that will be a thing of the past”.

Professor Aiskhia however cited steps taken in building adequate capacity for the Nigeria banking sector through years of innovations and development as well as conscientious work at building competency framework which he described as important to every profession. He said; “Competency framework is another challenge we must build into so that we do not begin to allow criminals be a part of our justice system.”

In her keynote address to the conference, Prof. Foluke Dada-Lawanson FFIS of the Faculty of Law, Caleb University enjoined forensic experts to give their best in the quest of building trust in the Nigeria’s justice system. She said; “When trust collapses, even the most correct judgment is viewed with suspicion. This is a timely reminder that in the administration of justice, experts do not merely examine documents, they rescue truth, restore balance and save lives. Ladies and gentlemen, forensic investigators sit at a critical junction between science and law and between truth and consequence.”

According to Prof. Dada-Lawanson, realist school of jurisprudence affirmed that law is not just about was written in statutes and pages of textbooks, but everything that took place within the courtrooms because “Justice is shaped less by lofty principles and more by facts, evidence, procedure and institutional behaviour. The bad man does not ask what is just, he is already aware that the law forbids him from raping, stealing, killing another human and defrauding people. Instead, he asks what will happen to me in court? What determines that outcome? What can I do to save myself from the wrath of law?”

Second keynote speaker at the conference, Assistant Inspector General of Nigeria police, Shehu Sani Gwarzo retired, said Nigeria was in; “an era where crime is more complex, national threats more dynamic and public expectations of justice more demanding. Forensics has become the global gold standard for criminal investigation, intelligence gathering, evidence-based policing and judicial integrity.” He said importance of forensics in national security and justice could not be overemphasized because “Modern policing cannot rely on intuition, eyewitness memory, confessions or circumstantial assumptions alone” because “Criminal networks have become more sophisticated—terrorism, cybercrime, kidnapping, financial crimes, violent offences, and cross-border criminality demand a science-driven investigative response”.

AIG Gwarzo(Rtd) FFIS stated that forensic science had transformed policing from reactive to proactive as well as strengthened prosecution, reduced wrongful convictions, accelerated case resolution and restored public trust. He thereafter said; “Investing in forensic science is not optional but a national imperative” as the nation must embrace digitisation of certain police records, establish forensic units, develop cybercrime laboratories, develop academic programmes in forensic sciences and partner with international bodies.

He thereafter submitted that Nigeria could achieve a strong forensic transformation if the nation could achieve; “A national forensic institute with world-class facilities, fully digitized crime scene processes, enhance cyber and digital forensics laboratories, nationwide standardisation of forensic protocols, a national DNA database, autonomous forensic laboratories accessible to all security agencies, continuous professional education for investigators and scientists, legislative reforms strengthening forensic practice and research-driven innovation and local content development.

In her goodwill message to the conference, Director, Forensic and Chemical Monitoring at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Lagos, Mrs. Patricia Afolabi, charged forensic experts across Nigeria not to relent on building their capacities as well as standardising their processes, said; “I know that when it comes to methodologies, it’s a little bit expensive but we can collaborate and form synergy among ourselves because results are tenable in court and can stand the test of time. Standardisation is key.”

Mrs. Afolabi also urged members of the public to assist law enforcement agencies by reporting crimes committed in their localities as a way of assisting them to curb crimes in the country. “Most Nigerians will see a crime and fail to report allowing criminals to go scot-free and later turns around to blame law enforcement agencies. Kindly report any crime you see being committed and assist forensic experts to take samples for analysis which will assist the court in dispensing justice to properly rid the society of bad eggs. We are looking for a safer and healthy environment and we don’t want drug to be trafficked or abused,”

Chairman of the newly inaugurated governing council, Mr. Emmanuel Olomu FFIS, appreciated members of the society for their faith, love and support to leadership of the society which had paved the way for the global acceptance being experienced so far. The Chairman said Forensic Investigators Society, Nigeria would leave no stone unturned and ready to partner with every individual and organisation in furthering frontiers of forensic investigation in Nigeria.

Newly Inducted Fellows

Swearing in Ceremony

High point of the event was the induction of new fellows, dissolution of the pioneer executive council, inauguration of the new executives and a Governing Council for the society.

MEMBERS OF THE PIONEER EXECUTIVE  - 2020 - 2026

S/N	NAME	STATUS
1.	Professor Joan Mbagwu	President
2.	Barrister Peters Agboola	Vice President
3.	Mr. Olusola Anthony Duyilemi	Chairman, Publication and Standard
4.	Mr. Hope Afolabi Oluyede	Chairman, Membership Committee
5.	Dr Felix Akintunde	Chairman, Conference Committee
6.	Barr. Queen Oseisa Oniwon	Chairperson, Discipline and Ethics Committee
7.	Mr. Emmanuel Olomu	Registrar/Secretary

  MEMBERS OF THE NEW EXECUTIVE  - 2026-2029

S/N	NAME	STATUS
1.	Barrister Okimasi Ojong, Ph.D	President
2.	Dr Chineyemba Lydia	Vice President
3.	Barrister Tijany Fatai, Ph.D	Director, Membership Committee
4.	Engr Popoola Joshua	Event Manager
5.	Dr. Olayinka Onayemi	Director, Professional Development
6.	Dr Akpoka Augustine Obhioze	Director, Publication and Standard
7.	Dr Iwualla Caleb	Public Relations Officer
8.	Mrs. Oluwademilade Oloyede	Registrar/Secretary

MEMBERS OF GOVERNING COUNCIL - 2026-2029

S/N	NAME	STATUS
1.	Mr. Emmanuel Olomu	Chairman
2.	AIG Shehu Gwarzo (RTD)	Member
3.	Mr. Ajakaye Peters	Member
4.	Mr. Alao Sunday	Member
5.	Barrister Osisa Queen Oniwon	Member
6.	Dr Ernest Onyekachi Nnabuihe	Member
7.	Dr Abraham Olusola-Niyi	Member
8.	Mrs. Olufunke Esabu	Member
9.	Mrs. Joy Ajuma Okoh	Member
10.	Mrs. Abiola Wadoye	Member
11.	Mr. Garba Amin Mohammad	Member
12.	Mr. Hope Afolabi Oluyede	Member
13.	Professor Adedeji Oyenuga	Member
14.	DCI Isah Ibrahim Zaik	Member
15.	Professor Aderonke Thompson	Member
16.	DC Amadin Nosa (RTD)	Member
17.	Dr Hassan Musa Chiwar	Member
18.	Mrs. Oloyede Oluwademilade	Secretary