Danish Peter Nielsen sentenced to death over death of wife and daughter

Danish Peter Nielsen sentenced to death over death of wife and daughter

On Friday, a Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) condemned a Danish man, Peter Nielsen, to death by hanging for murdering his Nigerian wife Zainab and their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter Petra four years ago.

On counts one and two of murder, Justice Bolanle Okikiolu-Ighile declared him guilty by a unanimous decision.

The judge said “I hereby pronounce that you Peter Nielsen shall be hanged by the neck until death. May God have mercy on you.”

Read More: Deborah Samuel Burnt Alive For Blasphemy In Sokoto

After accepting the appearances of the prosecution counsel Adebayo Haroun and the defense lawyer Uyi Giwa-Osaigie, Justice Bolanle Okikiolu-Ighile commenced reading the judgment at 11:10 a.m.

The judge had scheduled the hearing for Friday, May 6. However, court authorities informed press that the judgment was not yet available, and the case was rescheduled for today, May 20.

Justice Okikiolu-Ighile had set May 6 as the date for the judgment after the court heard submissions and adopted the prosecution and defense’s final written addresses on March 1, 2022.

The prosecution was able to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, according to the judge.

Nielsen, 53, was charged on June 13, 2018 with two counts of murder in violation of Section 223 of the Lagos State Criminal Law, 2015.

Nielsen murdered his wife, Zainab, and their daughter, Petra, at 4 Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island Ikoyi, according to Lagos Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kazeem Adeniji.