A Yaba Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday remanded a Danish national, Mr. Peter Nielsen, who was suspected of killing his wife, Zainab Ali-Nielsen and their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Petra.
Chief Magistrate Kikelomo Ayeye remanded Nielsen, 53, in Ikoyi Prison, following an application by the police who brought him to court. Nielsen was docked on a two-count charge of unlawful killing.
Nielsen’s plea was not taken. He was represented by Frank Udoka Amah as defence lawyer. The prosecuting counsel, Effiong Asuquo, tendered a three-page application, containing 15 grounds for Nielsen’s remand in prison.
He said: “There is overwhelming forensic evidence linking the defendant to the assault and murder of his wife and daughter. Investigation has also shown that the defendant was habitually violent to his late wife, Zainab.”
According to Asuquo, a fight broke out between the couple in their flat at about 3:00 a.m. on that fateful day. Nielsen was allegedly seen fighting and hitting the deceased’s head on a wall by her two relations, Mimi, 11, and Faith, 13 who lived with them.
She died from injuries sustained from the assault. The prosecutor alleged that Nielsen then poisoned Petra before dragging her body into the kitchen.
Asuquo said: “He took the lifeless little girl and put her under the mother’s body and then put on gas stove burners in the kitchen so that it will be believed that the wife and daughter were suffocated to death by the cooking gas.
It is in the national interest that the suspect remain in prison pending legal advice and his arraignment and trial.” Chief Magistrate Ayeye approved prosecutor’s application. She ordered that Nielsen be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case till May 8 for the DPP’s advice.