Court Upholds Death Penalty for Danish National Convicted of Murdering Wife, Daughter

The Court of Appeal in Lagos has upheld the death sentence of Peter Nielsen, a Danish national convicted in 2022 for the murder of his Nigerian wife, Zainab, also known as Alizee, and their daughter, Petra. The appellate court dismissed Nielsen’s appeal, citing a lack of merit.

Delivering the judgment, the court emphasized that the Lagos State Government had proven the murder charges beyond reasonable doubt. The judgment noted, “The corroborative evidence of DNA strengthened the circumstantial evidence against the appellant.” The court also dismissed Nielsen’s claim of an intruder, stating there was no proof of a break-in as suggested by the defense.

Nielsen, 53, was originally arraigned on June 13, 2018, for the April 5, 2018 murders at their Banana Island residence in Lagos. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

During the initial trial, Justice Okikiolu-Ighile of the Lagos State High Court based her decision on the post-mortem examination by Pathologist Professor John Obafunwa. The autopsy revealed bruises on Zainab’s neck consistent with blunt trauma and smothering as the cause of death. Testimonies from witnesses, including Zainab’s sister and housemaid, highlighted a history of domestic violence perpetrated by Nielsen.

The trial judge found Nielsen guilty of two counts of murder, concluding, “The DNA analysis of nail scraping brought out the assailant of Zainab. The evidence shows that Peter Nielsen killed his wife and daughter.”

Nielsen’s appeal argued that he was denied access to critical material evidence, impacting his defense. He claimed the trial court erred by not providing access to Zainab’s nightdress and Petra’s jumpsuit, which could contain exculpatory evidence. However, the appellate court found no merit in these arguments and upheld the original conviction and sentence.

The court’s decision reaffirmed the initial ruling: Peter Nielsen will face the death penalty for the murders of his wife and daughter.