The Director, Access to Justice, Joseph Oteh, says the Coroner Inquest currently investigating the collapse of a guest house in the premises of the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos State is not a trial but an investigation that will help prevent a reoccurrence of the incident.

On a Channels Television’s programme, Sunrise Daily, on Monday, Mr Oteh stressed that the lives of every Nigerian was important and that the enquiry was set up to ascertain the cause of death.

“The coroner inquest is a fact finding enquiry. It is not a trial. Nobody is put on trial. It’s just to examine the circumstances that led to particular death coming about. It is a death investigation.

“The philosophy behind the Coroner system is that if something has happened that had led to the death of someone, the investigations are carried out to learn the lessons needed to prevent a reoccurrence of similar incident that can lead to the loss of human lives. It is organised to reinforce the need to safeguard lives in the society.” he said, emphasising that “the Coroner does not have the power to try anyone”.

According to him, the Coroner has the right to call on forensic pathologists to carry out a test on any corpse.

The law that established the Coroner Inquest in Lagos State combines two streams of investigations, the Coroner system as practised in the UK and the medical examiner system practised in some states in the US.

“We have a blend of the two systems in Lagos.

“The Coroner relies on forensic reports as developed by the chief medical examiner in cases where dead bodies are to be looked at,” Mr Oteh said.

He also said that the Coroner had the right to summon any individual or group that could help reach the truth of what happened, but asked the individuals invited by the Coroner in Lagos not to exercise fears, as the inquest was not a trial.