forensics

Pieces of evidence have continued to emerge, demonstrating the extensive efficiency and effectiveness of the DNA database in assisting criminal investigations around the world. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the awareness level on the prominent role of Forensic DNA Database on Crime Investigation in Nigeria: a case study of Benin City. In conducting this research, a total of 458 questionnaires were distributed around Benin City between the periods of 12th January 2020 to 21st March 2020, with a particular focus on security agents and students. The questionnaire comprised of three main categories: Socio-demographic characteristics, Information about the National Forensic DNA Database, and Information about DNA evidence, and Nigeria Criminal Justice system. For the analysis of data collected; the statistical tool used was also Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 22 for windows. Responses were compared using chi-square and presented as counts and percentages. In determining the level of awareness, the following responses were obtained. Of the total population: 53.28% had no idea about forensics, 19.21% were uncertain and 27.54% knew about forensics. The same trend was observed with Forensic DNA profiling, 42.14% did not know, 22.27% were uncertain and 35.59% demonstrated good knowledge of Forensic DNA profiling. On the knowledge about the National Forensic DNA Database, 48.47% had no knowledge, 22.27% were uncertain and 29.26% were knowledgeable about it. The result of the present study revealed that the awareness level of the forensic DNA Database was found to be inadequate.

The main aim of forensic science is to gather intelligence to enable the judge to credible and logical decisions in the court by means of scientific approach through evaluation of evidence for the administration of justice, and country around the world now considers forensic methodology as the gold standard for criminal investigation. Therefore, the present study examined the level of awareness on the relevance of forensics in criminal investigation in Nigeria. The design used in this study is the survey research design and the sample size of this study was a total of one hundred personnel of law enforcement and the judiciary. The study adopted descriptive statistics which involves the use of frequency and percentage. The result of the present study revealed that the participants were distributed socio-demographically as follows; there was an observable higher number of male participants (68%) relative to the female participants (32%), As per age distribution, a larger population of the participants were found to be > 40 years of age with 55%, and it was observed that age between 35-39 years ranked the least with 15%. On educational level, the result of the present study revealed that majority of the participants possesses a bachelor’s degree as the highest level of educational qualification with 75% from a pool of 100% of participants. The present study further examined responses on the relevance of forensics in criminal investigation, and the result revealed an inadequate level of awareness on the relevance of forensics in criminal investigation. Therefore, the study recommends that the Nigerian Police Force and the Judiciary should collaborate with Universities running programs on forensics for trainings.

DNA identification is very important in cases of high decomposition of dead bodies, in which the bodies cannot be identified by physical means.To compare the results of DNA typing, it is necessary to have related subjects with which to perform comparative analyses. Such tests are normally performed by comparing DNA profiles from people known to be immediate family members of the presumptive victim, such as parents or children because they share half of their genetic material with the unidentified.We report on how DNA analysis was used to solve a case of mixed-up bodies at a local mortuary in Ghana, West Africa. Two families and three buried human remains were in contention in this case. The first body (E9) was buried three months before exhumation. The second body (E11) was buried two and a half months before exhumation whiles the third body (E10) was buried a month before exhumation. Exhibit E5 was taken from an alleged child of the deceased, E11. Toenails of the exhumed bodies were sampled by a pathologist and used for DNA extractions using the QIAamp DNA Investigator Kit. Profiles from relatives were generated for comparison purposes. All samples gave a quality amount of genomic DNA after quantification. DNA was amplified with a GlobalFiler PCR amplification kit. Profiles from relatives were generated for comparison purposes.The human remains (exhibit E11) cannot be excluded as the biological father of the child (exhibit E5) because they share common alleles at all 23 genetic loci. The applicable combined paternity index was 17218125604.492 assuming a prior probability of 0.5. The probability of paternity is 99.99999999%. Based on this relationship testing, one of the bodies was successfully identified and handed over to the family for re-burial.

Today HPLC is widely applied for separations and purifications in a variety of areas including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, environmental, polymer and food industries. It is accomplished by injection of a small amount of liquid sample into a moving stream of liquid (called the mobile phase) that passes through a column packed with particles of the stationary phase. The separation of a mixture into its components depends on different degrees of retention of each component in the column. HPLC is just one type of liquid chromatography, meaning the mobile phase is a liquid. Reversed-phase HPLC is the most common type of HPLC. The reversed-phase means the mobile phase is relatively polar, and the stationary phase is relatively non-polar. HPLC instrumentation includes a Solvent reservoir, pump, injector, column, detector, and integrator or acquisition and display system. The heart of the system is the column where separation occurs. The information that can be obtained using HPLC includes identification, quantification, and resolution of a compound. The major applications are in the area of Pharmaceuticals, food, research, manufacturing, forensics, and bio-monitoring of pollutants.

The utilization of the Internet and wireless communication reaches its pinnacle from one side of the planet to the other. Marking the rise of criminal activity in recent years sees enormous growth in security breaches and data theft-related cases in mobile phones. To mitigate them, the implementation of security patches, safety fixes, and updates in mobile devices is of high priority for the organization. The need to foster techniques and procedures in the field to be able to extract and precisely dissect digital crime cases, providing valuable tactical data about the investigation. Mobile forensics is a developing branch assisting the investigator in criminal trials and investigations. Acquisition, Collection, and Analysis of mobile phones settle the purpose of recovering cumulative and corroborative evidence. Upgradation and innovation of mobile devices with time imposed a challenge to mobile forensic technology to extract information from such devices. The study aims at extracting comparative and statistical approaches in the analysis of Physical data acquisition utilizing significant versatile mobile criminological proprietary tools. The proposed study also introduces newly developed utility tools along with their characteristic features which help in successful data extraction from mobile devices.

WhatsApp, a widely used instant messaging application, has become a valuable source of digital evidence in forensic investigations. This review article explores the forensic analysis techniques, challenges, and future directions associated with WhatsApp. It covers the extraction and analysis of data from various sources, including mobile devices, cloud backups, and network traffic. The article discusses the challenges faced by forensic examiners, such as encryption, data volatility, and the need for proper validation of tools. It also highlights the importance of keeping up with the latest updates and changes in WhatsApp’s features and security measures. The future directions for WhatsApp forensics are explored, focusing on the development of more advanced and efficient analysis techniques, the need for standardization, and the importance of international cooperation in addressing cross-border investigations. This review provides insights for forensic examiners, researchers, and legal professionals involved in cases requiring WhatsApp evidence.

With the integration of mobile systems into daily life, social media applications used especially on Android and iOS platforms contain a significant amount of sensitive information. Social media applications on mobile systems have huge personal and sensitive content. Therefore, it is important to design effective techniques for forensic analysis of social media applications and to detect personal data. In this research, three different paid mobile forensic software and 4 different brands and models of smartphones with different operating systems were used and analyzed. The study shows that private messages, e-mails, time information, shared data, location and time information, and other personal data can be obtained by a forensic expert who performs an examination, and it is seen that one software can access the deleted data, but another software cannot access it. In proportion to the technology used in today’s world, mobile forensics incidents are increasing day by day, and a competitive environment is created among the software used to illuminate these incidents. With this competition, software companies dealing with forensic informatics are trying to obtain different data to illuminate forensic events that may occur due to the active use of social media accounts with the developing technology, and software that does not meet the needs in the face of this situation remains in the background. The criminal elements in the investigation areas of mobile forensics differ daily, and the scope of crimes in the virtual environment is expanding with the developing technology. Therefore, mobile forensic analysis applications should be successful in social media applications other than standard data.

Numerous instances of consecrated communion wafers turning into human tissue and blood have been reported throughout history and the contemporary international media, referred to as Eucharistic miracles. Various suggestions have been put forth to explain such phenomena, ranging from miraculous to natural. Here, a novel demonstration is provided showing that the appearance of a bleeding host can occur by placing ordinary, non-consecrated wafers under similar conditions as described for many of these events. Using basic forensic methods, distinctions between ensuant reddish areas and genuine blood were noted. In previous studies with miracle wafers, isolated DNA was resistant to amplification with human-specific primers, which has been attributed to its divine nature. The current study shows that multiple types of non-human DNA existed in unconsecrated wafers, providing an alternative explanation for such findings. Finally, a minimal protocol of scientific examination is outlined to aid in the standardization of such investigations in the future, including a distinctive approach to authenticate the genuine shared origin of such occurrences.

Background: Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field based on the expertise of molecular biology, chemistry, biochemistry, chemical and biological engineering, and digital computing. Biotechnology plays an important role in modern forensic science, driving advances in analytical tools and techniques.This review study provides a brief overview of applications, highlighting advances in forensic biotechnology and key technologies involved in the domains of genomics and DNA analysis, microbial forensics, forensic medicine, and forensic serology. The integration of forensic expertise with technology has increased the accuracy, sensitivity, and efficiency of forensic casework.Conclusions: This interdisciplinary field extends beyond its usual association with biology to also include chemistry, fingerprint analysis, and toxicology, among others. Continued progress and innovation in this advanced field will further enhance investigative capabilities and facilitate the pursuit of justice.

In the digital age, media offenses pose significant threats to privacy and reputation. Digital forensics plays a crucial role in combating these crimes by providing systematic methods and valuable knowledge. This work reviews how the field has proven effective in solving cases and preventing offenses, offering a solid career path for those interested in crime-solving and digital evidence collection.