Court sentences Danish Peter Nielsen to death by hanging over wife and daughter’s death

A Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square, (TBS), Friday, sentenced a Danish man, Peter Nielsen, to death by hanging for killing his Nigerian wife Zainab and three-and-a-half-year-old daughter Petra, exactly four years after the murder.

Justice Bolanle Okikiolu-Ighile found him guilty on counts one and two of murder preferred against him by Lagos state.

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

Justice Bolanle Okikiolu-Ighile began reading the judgement at 11:10am, after taking appearances of the prosecution counsel Adebayo Haroun and the defence counsel Uyi Giwa-Osaigie.

The judge had fixed Friday, May 6, to deliver the judgment. But court officials told journalist that the judgment was not ready, and adjourned till today, May 20.

Justice Okikiolu-Ighile had reserved May 6, for the judgment after proceedings on March 1, 2022, when the court listened to submissions and adopted the final written addresses of the prosecution and the defence.

The Judge held that the prosecution was able to prove it’s case beyond reasonable doubt.

Nielsen, 53, was arraigned on June 13, 2018 on a two-count charge of murder contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Lagos Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kazeem Adeniji, had told the court that Nielsen murdered both Zainab, his wife, and Petra, their daughter at about 3:45am at 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island Ikoyi.