A Danish citizen, Peter Nielsen, has been convicted and sentenced to death by hanging for killing his Nigerian wife, Zainab, and three-year-old daughter, Petra, at Banana Island, Lagos State.
Fifty-four-year-old Nielsen was convicted on two-count murder charge by Justice Bolanle Okikiolu-Ighile of the Lagos State High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square on Friday, May 20, 2022.
He was m sentenced him to death for killing his wife and daughter.
It will be recalled that the convict was accused by the Lagos State Government of smothering Zainab and Petra to death on Apri 5, 2018 at about 3:45a.m. at their number 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island, Ikoyi apartment in Lagos.
Nielsen was arraigned on June 13, 2018, but pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of murder, contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The judge began reading the judgment at 11: 10am after taking appearances of the prosecution counsel Adebayo Haroun and the defence counsel Uyi Giwa- Osaigie, and finished delivering the judgment over five hours later.
She said: “I hereby pronounce that you Peter Nielsen, shall be hanged by the neck till death, may God have mercy on you.”
Before pronouncing the judgement, Justice Okikiolu-Ighile held that Nielsen smothered Zainab Nielsen and Petra Nielsen to death, stating: ”He was the one that killed Zainab. Peter Nielsen was the one that killed Petra Nielsen. Zainab had already predicted her death when she told their driver that ‘this man will kill me.’ She told her stepfather, Chris Madaki, when she went to Abuja that ‘this man will kill me’.”
