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Tag: Peter Nielsen.

  • Lagos brings fresh DNA evidence against Danish murder suspect 

    A LAGOS High Court yesterday deferred till May 10 the murder trial of a Dane, Peter Nielsen, to enable him examine the new DNA evidence brought against him by the state

    Justice Mobolanle Okikiolu-Ighile fixed the date following an application by Nielsen’s counsel, Olasupo Shasore (SAN).

    Shasore accused the state of swamping the defence with “a bundle of papers” and a flash drive containing “almost 100 pages of scientific analysis” only a day before yesterday’s proceeding.

    Nielsen, 54, is standing trial for the death of his Nigerian singer wife, Zainab and their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Petra, last April 5.

    The state accused the Dane of smothering Zainab and Petra around 3:45am at No 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island, Ikoyi.

    Five people were said to be in the apartment that fateful night –  Nielsen, Zainab, Petra, Gift and Favour Madaki, both of whom are Zainab’s stepsisters.

    Nielsen was arraigned last June 13, on two counts of murder contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    Last March 25, the state obtained an adjournment to enable it secure its last witness, a forensic expert, and serve other “information that is very essential” to the defence.

    But at the resumed hearing yesterday, Shasore told the court that the state did not keep its word about the date to serve the new information.

    He said: “We were served, contrary to the undertaking, on Friday, March 25, at 3:35pm, with a bundle of papers containing two new documents, and, crucially, my lord, a new DNA report. A new report containing DNA analysis.

    “The report is styled ‘Forensic DNA superseding report’. It concerns matters that occurred almost a year ago. The defendant was arraigned in this court in June 2018, a period of almost nine months.

    “The state has prepared two DNA forensic reports, from which we prepared our defence. My lord, we are greatly prejudiced, that on the eve of the testimony of a forensic expert, the state will introduce new evidence without availing us the opportunity to consider expert advice on this. A report that seeks to discountenance all we’ve done for the last nine months.

    “We are disappointed at the conduct of the state, for putting us in this state. We are hereby applying for an adjournment, based on these, and we are at great pains to do so.

    “To compound this, the state served us yesterday (Tuesday), a flash drive containing detailed DNA analysis, almost 100 pages of scientific analysis.

    “We are at great pains to seek this adjournment because we are anxious that the defendant be set free.”

    Responding, Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Titilayo Shitta-Bey said there was no   intention to delay Nielsen’s trial.

    Shitta-Bey said: “I want to apologise to the Learned Silk; the service of the flash drive was not an attempt to delay trial.

    “My lord will recall that at the beginning of this trial, the prosecution made an application for biological samples from the defendant for DNA analysis, and the court granted the application.

    “The defendant’s blood samples were collected during the trial and subjected to tests to build his DNA profile.

    “It is the outcome of the tests carried out on the defendant’s samples that is now incorporated, served on the defence, titled ‘Forensic DNA superseding report’.”

    She said the flash drive “merely contains an overview, summary of the scientific DNA report that we have already served on the defence…it contains nothing new.

    “However, in view of the concerns of the Learned Silk, I will not be opposing the application for adjournment.”

  • Updated: Lagos brings fresh DNA evidence against Danish murder suspect

    A Lagos High Court in Igbosere on Wednesday adjourned till May 10 to allow a Danish murder suspect, Peter Nielsen, time to examine new DNA evidence brought against him by the Lagos State Government.

    Justice Mobolanle Okikiolu-Ighile fixed the date following an application by Nielsen’s counsel, Olasupo Shasore SAN.

    Shasore, a former Lagos Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, accused the state of swamping the defence with “a bundle of papers” and a flash drive containing “almost 100 pages of scientific analysis” only a day before today’s court date.

    Nielsen, 54, is standing trial for the last April 5 death of his Nigerian singer wife, Zainab and their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Petra.

    The government accused the Dane of smothering Zainab and Petra to death at about 3:45am at No. 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island Ikoyi.

    Five people were said to be in the apartment on the night of the incident: Nielsen, Zainab, Petra, Gift and Favour Madaki, both of whom are Zainab’s step-sisters.

    Nielsen was arraigned last June 13, on two counts of murder contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    He denied the charge.

    At the last hearing on March 25, the state obtained an adjournment to enable it secure its final witness, a forensic expert, and serve other “information that is very essential” to the defence.

    But at the resumption of proceedings on Wednesday, Shasore informed the court that the state had not kept its word about the date it promised to serve the new information.

    Shashore said: “We were served, contrary to the undertaking, on Friday, 25th of March, at 3:35pm, with a bundle of papers containing two new documents, and, crucially, my lord, a brand new DNA report. A new report containing DNA analysis.

    Read Also: Murder trial of Danish: Defence counsel seeks thorough investigation

    “The report is styled ‘Forensic DNA superceeding report’. It concerns matters that occurred almost a year ago. The defendant was arraigned in this court in June 2018, a period of almost nine months.

    “The state has prepared two DNA forensic reports, from which we prepared our defence. My lord, we are greatly prejudiced, that on the eve of the testimony of a forensic expert, the state will introduce new evidence without availing us of the opportunity to consider expert advice on this. A report that seeks to discountence all we’ve done for the last nine months.

    “We are disappointed at the conduct of the state, for putting us in this state. We are hereby applying for an adjournment, based on these, and we are at great pains to do so.

    “To compound this, the state served us yesterday (Tuesday), a flash drive containing detailed DNA analysis, almost 100 pages of scientific analysis.

    “We are at great pains to seek this adjournment because we are anxious that the

  • Alleged murder: ‘Dane threatened to kill wife, daughter while drunk’

    A Lagos High Court in Igbosere on Monday heard that a Danish national, Peter Nielsen, once threatened to kill his wife Zainab, and their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Petra, while drunk or ‘mad.’

    A prosecution witness, Daniel Simon Joel, told Justice Mobolanle Okikiolu-Ighile that the late Zainab was afraid her husband, who he called ‘Oga’, was “running mad.”

    The court also heard that Nielsen made the threat in August 2017 and was arrested but afterwards released by the police.

    Nielsen, 53, is standing trial before the judge for allegedly killing Zainab – also known as Alizee – and their daughter Petra, on April 5 at the couple’s BIsland, Lagos home.

    At the last hearing of the matter on June 13, the court authorised the Lagos State Government to obtain Nielsen’s blood for DNA analysis.

    At the commencement of proceedings on Monday, Joel, who identified himself as Nielsen’s former driver, testified as the prosecution’s first witness.

    During his examination by Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem SAN, Joel narrated how the incident occurred.

    He said around 1am on an unspecified day in August 2017, the late Zainab woke him from sleep and asked for his help to get security officials.

    He said: ” In August 2017, the wife of Mr Nielsen came to the drivers’ lodge at Bella Vista Tower around 1am, banging on the door, calling me

    ‘Daniel! Daniel! Daniel!’ She said I should call the security guards, that Mr Peter was running mad at her, that he wanted to kill her.

    “I opened the door, I saw Mrs Zainab standing with Petal. She said I should call security and the people around, that he was running mad.

    “She said I should look at her face. She showed me her face, that Oga wanted to kill her. Then I called security; they responded that they received a call earlier. Then we all went to the house. We saw Mr Peter at the house.

    “Madam Zainab was telling us that Mr Peter wanted to kill her so she did not want to stay with him anymore, that the marriage was over.”
    According to him, the police soon arrived and arrested Nielsen, but he was released afterwards.

    Joel said he was in Kaduna last April when he received phone calls that Zainab and Petra had been killed.

    Under cross-examination by defence counsel Mr Olasupo Shasore, a former Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, the witness said Nielsen told him he had been drinking the night he threatened his wife.

    Shasore: “Did he (Nielsen) say anything to you?”

    Witness: “Mr Peter told me that he was drunk. When Mr Peter saw us heading to the house, he came to meet us. That was when he told me, ‘Daniel, I am drunk.’”

    He said that he saw the deceased smoke cigarettes but that he never saw the defendant take Cocaine.

    Earlier the defendant’s counsel brought two applications dated October 5, before the court, seeking approval to obtain medical samples from the prosecution to enable the defence carry out an independent DNA test and to grant them access to the crime scene, as it was under lock and key.

    Both applications were granted.

    Read Also: Court convicts fleeing doctor for cocaine trafficking

    Justice Okikiolu-Ighile adjourned till October 9, for continuation of trial, while the defendant was remanded in prison custody.

    Nielsen was arraigned by the Lagos State Government on June 13 on a two-count charge of murder contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    Adeniji told the judge that Nielsen murdered both Zainab and Petra at about 3:45am on April 5, at No. 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island Ikoyi.

    According to Kazeem, the offences contravened Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    Nielsen, who has been on remand in prison custody since April 11, pleaded not guilty.

    The defendant’s remand on April 11, was by a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos following an application by the police.

    The police alleged that the defendant was habitually violent to Zainab, a musician, and that a fight broke out between the couple in their flat at about 3am, following which she and her daughter were killed.

  • Alleged murder: Dane to undergo DNA screening

    A Lagos High Court in Igbosere on Thursday authorised Peter Nielsen, the Danish national accused of killing of his wife, Zainab and their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Petra, to have his blood analysed for DNA.

    Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile permitted the sample to be collected by the Lagos State Government following a request by Nielsen’s counsel, Olasupo Shasore (SAN).

    Nielsen, 53, was docked by the state on a two-count charge of murder contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    According to the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kazeem Adeniji, Nielsen committed the alleged offences on April 5, at the couple’s Banana Island, Lagos home.

    He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Adeniji also told the judge that an interim autopsy has been released, while the full report would be out in four weeks.

    Justice Okikiolu-Ighile remanded Nielsen in prison till October 8 when the trial would commence.

     

     

  • Court remands Dane for ‘murder’ of Nigerian wife, daughter

    A Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court yesterday remanded a Dane, Peter Nielsen, accused of killing his wife, Zainab, and their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Petra.

    Chief Magistrate Kikelomo Ayeye remanded Nielsen, 53, in Ikoyi Prison, following police request.

    Nielsen was arraigned on a two-count charge of unlawful killing.

    The charge, marked B/87/2018, was read to the defendant in English.

    It reads: “That you Peter Nielsen, male, on April 5 at Block 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, did unlawfully kill your wife, one Zainab Nielsen, 37. That you Peter Nielsen on April 5 did unlawfully kill your daughter, Petra Nielsen, aged three- and-a-half years”

    According to prosecuting counsel, Effiong Asuquo, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), the offences are punishable under Section 223 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

    Asuquo tendered a three-page application, containing 15 grounds for Nielsen’s remand.

    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 3am.

    Nielsen was allegedly seen fighting and hitting her head on a wall by his wife’s two relations, Mimi, 11, and Faith, 13 who lived with them, following which she died.

    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.

    “The offences which the defendant has committed are capital offences and thus the defendant needs to be remanded in prison custody pending legal advice by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and proper arraignment and trial before the High Court. It is in the national interest that the suspect remains in prison custody pending legal advice and his arraignment and trial.”

    Chief Magistrate Ayeye upheld his prayer.

    She remanded Nielsen and adjourned till May 8, for the DPP’s advice.

    Last year, Zainab, alias Alizee, signed a two-year record deal with an Asian record label, Petra Entertainment.

    The deal reportedly earned the Kogi State native a new Ford explorer SUV, a house on Banana Island and international distribution with affiliates of her record company in Asia.

    In January, she released a single, ‘Alhaji Musa’.

    Nielsen’s counsel, Frank Udoka Amah, told The Nation afterwards that Nielsen “is also a victim in this matter. He has lost a wife and daughter. We are trying to find out exactly what happened and we are cooperating with the Nigeria police in their investigation. We believe that they will look at every angle. It is the job of the police to look at all the angles, to look at the Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras. There are a lot of CCTV cameras in Bella Vista where this incident happened. It is their job to look at them and we have every reason to say that what the CCTV cameras are saying is consistent with what our client said.”

  • Dane docked for murder of Nigerian wife, daughter

    A Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday remanded a Danish national, 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.

    Nielsen was docked on a two-count charge of unlawful killing.

    The charge, marked B/87/2018, was read to the defendant in English.

    It reads: “That you Peter Nielsen, male, on April 5, 2018 at Block 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, did unlawfully kill your wife, one Zainab Ali- Nielsen, aged 37 years.

    “That you Peter Nielsen on April 5, 2018 at Block 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, did unlawfully kill your daughter, Petra Nielsen, aged three- and-a-half years.”

    According to prosecuting counsel, Mr. Effiong Asuquo, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), the offences were contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015 and punishable under same.

    Nielsen’s plea was not taken.

    He was represented by Frank Udoka Amah.

    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.

    “The offences which the defendant has committed are capital offences and thus the defendant needs to be remanded in prison pending legal advice by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and proper arraignment and trial before the High Court.

    “It is in the national interest that the suspect remain in prison pending legal advice and his arraignment and trial.”

    Chief Magistrate Ayeye upheld his prayer.

    She remanded Nielsen in prison and adjourned the case till May 8 for the DPP’s advice.

     

  • Suspected killer of Nigerian wife, daughter not yet charged – Lawyers

    A Danish citizen, Mr. Peter Nielsen, who was accused of killing his wife and daughter, has not been charged with any offence, his legal representatives, Primera Africa Legal (PAL), said on Tuesday.

    Police detectives from the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba, are investigating Nielson over the death of his artiste wife, Zainab Ali-Nielsen and her four-year-old daughter, Petra.

    It was alleged that the duo were murdered in the family’s Banana Island, Ikoyi, residence, in the early hours of April 5.

    PAL’s Senior Partner, F. Boma Ayomide Alabi, said in a statement that Mr. Nielsen “is fully cooperating” with the investigators at the Lagos State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCID).

    She sought transparent investigation and access to the Danish national by his lawyers, adding that the suspect has not been charged and the cause of death was unknown.

    Alabi said there had been “largely inaccurate and speculative public and media narrative” against her client.

    “He has not been charged with any crime yet. The cause of death is still unknown.

    “It is in the interest of justice that an opportunity is availed Mr. Nielsen to defend himself and that the investigation is transparent, factual and unbiased.

    “The Nigeria Police must allow Mr. Nielsen access to his lawyers. In the eyes of the law, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty after an adversarial trial process.

    “We, therefore, plead that no one rushes to judgment and that we allow the law take its course,” she said.

    The spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Chike Oti, had said Nielsen was detained at the SCIID.

    “The suspect is from Denmark. He has been arrested and transferred to the State CID, Panti, for thorough investigation by the Homicide Department.

    “The command has also written the embassy on the suspect that police detectives are investigating one of their nationals,” he said.

     

  • Police quiz Danish man over wife’s murder

    Police has commenced investigation into the alleged murder of a Nigerian woman and her four-year-old daughter by her Danish husband, Peter Nielsen.

    The spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Chike Oti, confirmed the development in Lagos on Friday.

    Oti said Nielsen was currently being detained at the State CID, Panti, Lagos, for further investigation.

    He said the state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, had deployed some crack detectives to the scene, adding that no stone would be left unturned to get to the root of the matter.

    “The suspect is not an Italian, but from Denmark. He has been arrested and transferred to the State CID, Panti, for thorough investigation by the Homicide Department.

    “The command has also informed the embassy that our men are investigating one of their nationals,” he said.

    A Nigerian artiste, Zainab Ali-Nielsen, popularly known as Alizee, and her four-year-old daughter, Petra, were allegedly murdered by Nielsen.

    NAN