BENJAMIN OMOIKE
A Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square on Friday sentenced a Danish expatriate, Peter Nielsen, to death by hanging after being found guilty of murdering his Nigerian wife, Zainab, and daughter, Petra.
The judge, Bolanle Okikiolu-Ighile, convicted Mr Nielsen, 54, on two counts of murder brought against him by the Lagos State Government.
The judge sentenced Mr Nielsen to death by hanging on both counts.
The Dane was charged with the death of his wife and singer, Zainab, and their three year-old daughter, Petra.
The Lagos State government accused him of smothering his wife and child to death at 3.45 a.m. at No. 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos State.
Mr Nielsen was arraigned on June 13, 2018.
He pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of murder contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Nielsen, had been facing trial for allegedly killing his wife, Zainab, and her three year-old daughter, Petra. In April, he was remanded in Ikoyi Prisons on the order of a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.
The Magistrate in that sitting, K.B. Ayeye, who gave the ruling, had said the accused should be kept behind bars pending advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Mr Nielsen, a Danish citizen, was being tried on a two-count charge of murder.
Effiong Asuquo, the prosecutor, had told the court that the accused committed the offences on April 5 at his residence at Block 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island, Ikoyi.
He alleged that the accused killed his wife, Zainab, 37, and her daughter, Petra, in the house.
“The accused, who was always at loggerheads with his wife had hit her head on the wall several times leading to her death; he also proceeded to poison his daughter.
“He had dragged their lifeless bodies under the gas to create the impression that they suffocated to death as a result of a gas leakage,” the prosecutor, a chief superintendent of police, said.
The offences contravened Sections 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 which prescribes death sentence for offenders.
The case was then adjourned to May 8 pending DPP’s advice.
In the ruling yesterday, the sentenced the Dane to death by hanging.
