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| Peter Nielsen, with Zainab Ali-Nielsen, a.k.a Alizee; and their three-year-old daughter, Petra |
A police inspector, Babashola Afolayan, on Monday, explained to a Lagos State High Court in Igbosere that a Danish national, Peter Nielsen, was the principal suspect in the killing of his Nigerian wife, Zainab, and three-year-old daughter, Petra.
Nielsen, 53, allegedly murdered Zainab and Petra at the family’s residence at the Ocean Parade, Banana Island, Lagos, on April 5, 2018.
Zainab’s younger sister had reported to the facility manager of the estate that Zainab was being assaulted by Nielsen.
The 13-year-old girl, Gift, who lived with the family, reportedly told the manager, Mr Kunle Kukoyi, that she heard her sister crying around 4am.
The manager was said to have reported to the police at the Ikoyi Division and a police team was mobilised to the residence around 11am and found Zainab and her daughter dead.
At Monday’s proceedings, during cross-examination by Nielsen’s counsel, Olasupo Shasore (SAN), Afolayan told the court that he only investigated the defendant as he was the principal suspect in the murder of the deceased.
He added that the defendant was the only suspect because on July 18, 2017, his deceased wife, Zainab, had come to the Ikoyi Police Station around 2am and made a report against Nielsen about how he allegedly assaulted and beat her up around 1am on the same day.
He said, “On July 18, 2017, the defendant’s wife came around 2am and complained about the defendant that around 1am, he pushed her to the bed and pressed her neck and beat her up; it was a case of assault occasioning harm against the defendant. She further reported that that day was the third time he would be beating her.
“She also added that she suspected that Nielsen was a drug addict, stating that whenever he took drugs, he beat her up; all these made him (Nielsen) to be the principal suspect.”
Earlier, at the conclusion of his evidence, Afolayan told the court that when he went for investigation, he made sure that nobody went in and out of the compound.
The presiding judge, Justice Bolanle Okikiolu-Ighile, adjourned the case till February 20 for the continuation of trial.
