Forensic experts have called for a decisive overhaul of Nigeria’s justice system through the integration of advanced technologies and locally validated scientific standards, warning that innovation without contextual adaptation could weaken, rather than strengthen, legal outcomes.

The call was made on day two of the 2026 Global Forensic Summit held in Lagos, where experts highlighted how emerging tools, ranging from agentic artificial intelligence (AI) to molecular diagnostics, are reshaping criminal investigation and intelligence gathering.

However, they stressed that scientific rigour, standardisation, and institutional collaboration remain critical to translating these innovations into admissible courtroom evidence.

Delivering a keynote titled “Agentic Artificial Intelligence in Forensic Justice Administration: Implications for Evidence Service Delivery,” the President of the Association of Forensic Sciences and Expert Witness, Nigeria, Prof. Abiodun Osiyemi, underscored the transformative power of AI in addressing Nigeria’s case backlog.

According to him, advanced AI systems can process thousands of forensic files and digital artefacts within minutes, which are tasks that would traditionally take human analysts weeks or months.

He illustrated this with a case involving a 300-page land dispute riddled with forged typewritten documents. While manual analysis was projected to take up to two months, an AI-powered system completed the task in just 15 minutes, identifying inconsistencies between a 1932 typewriter and a later 1978 IBM model, thereby exposing forgery.

Beyond speed, Osiyemi emphasised AI’s objectivity, noting that machines apply consistent analytical standards without fatigue or bias. This, he said, is vital in tackling complex crimes such as human trafficking, organised crime, and financial fraud.

He also warned organisations, particularly banks and government agencies, about poor data disposal practices. Drawing from field experiences in Lagos, he revealed that discarded hard drives often contain recoverable sensitive data, urging institutions to physically destroy storage devices rather than rely on simple formatting.

Complementing this perspective, Dr Onyekachi Ogbonnaya Iroanya, Associate Professor at the University of Lagos and member of the International Academy of Forensics, focused on advances in biological evidence and the urgent need for local genetic benchmarks.

She explained that modern molecular techniques, including mRNA and microRNA analysis, now enable investigators to determine not only who left a biological sample, but also the type of fluid and the timing of its deposition, critical factors in cases such as sexual assault and homicide.

However, she warned that Nigeria’s reliance on foreign-developed genetic databases poses significant risks.

To address this, Iroanya disclosed ongoing collaborations between Nigerian and South African researchers to develop Short Tandem Repeat (STR) systems tailored to African populations.

She also advocated for rapid DNA testing at border points to verify family relationships within hours, strengthening immigration and anti-trafficking efforts.