Forensic Identification of Unknown Deceased Persons in Disaster-Prone Communities in Jigawa State

The identification of unknown deceased individuals following natural disasters and communal conflicts is a critical forensic responsibility with legal, humanitarian, and public health dimensions. This study examines forensic identification practices applied to unknown deceased persons recovered following flood disasters and inter-community conflicts in Jigawa State between 2019 and 2024. A descriptive case study design was used, reviewing twenty identification cases handled by the Jigawa State Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Police Force, and conducting interviews with eight forensic pathologists and police investigators. The study evaluates the identification methods employed, including visual identification, fingerprinting, dental comparison, and DNA analysis, and assesses the success rates and limitations of each approach in the North West context. Findings reveal that visual identification by next of kin is the predominant method used, accounting for ninety percent of identifications, with secondary forensic methods applied in only ten percent of cases. DNA analysis was not employed in any of the reviewed cases due to cost and laboratory access barriers. Identification failure resulted in improper burial without family notification in approximately twenty percent of flood-related deaths. Recommendations include the development of a state-level disaster victim identification plan, training of local authorities in ante-mortem data collection, and advocacy for mobile forensic identification units in disaster-prone North West communities. Keywords: victim identification, disaster forensics, Jigawa State, unknown deceased, flood disaster.