Appeal Court Okays Death Penalty For Denmark Citizen Who Killed His Nigerian Wife and Daughter

Peter Nielsen, his late wife, Zainab,  and daughter, Petra Nielsen

The Appeal Court in Nigeria has okayed the death penalty handed down to a Denmark national, Peter Nielsen, who killed his Nigerian wife and daughter.

The Court dismissed his appeal. Nielsen was on May 20, 2022, found guilty, convicted and sentenced to d£ath by hanging for the murder of his wife, Zainab and and daughter Petra Nielsen, by Justice Bolanle Okikiolu-Ighile,(retd.), of the Lagos State High Court, at the Tafawa Balewa Square.

The Lagos State Government had accused Nielsen, now 57, of smothering Zainab and their daughter Petra Nielsen, to death at about 3:45 am, on April 5, 2018, at their No. 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island, Ikoyi residence. Two counts of murder was filed against him.

Dissatisfied with his conviction and sentencing, Nielsen approached the appellate court for the judgment to be upturned.

However, in a ruling delivered on Friday, July 19, the Appeal court upheld his conviction by the trial court and dismissed his appeal for lack of merit. The Appeal Court held that the respondent (Lagos State) proved the offence of murder against the appellant beyond reasonable doubt.

According to the Court,
“The corroborative evidence of DNA also strengthened the circumstantial evidence against the appellant. There was no proof of breaking into the apartment as suggested by the appellant. The missing exhibits as a result of the #EndSARS attack on the court do not affect the defence of the appellant as he had ample opportunity before the attack on the court. The findings of the forensic examiner corroborate the evidence of the children.”