Peter Nielsen, a 54-year-old Denmark national, is enjoying special privileges while on death row in Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, Lagos, FIJ has learned.

On May 20, 2022, the Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square found Nielsen guilty of murdering his Nigerian wife, Zainab, and daughter, Petra.

This verdict came four years after he perpetrated the act at about 3.45 am at their Banana Island residence in the Ikoyi area of Lagos on April 5, 2018.

Bolanle Okikiolu-Ighile was the judge who delivered the verdict, and citing section 223 (2) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015, she sentenced Nielsen to death by hanging. He has been on death row ever since and condemned to the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, Apapa, Lagos, to await his execution.

However, on November 14, 2023, an insider at the maximum security prison told FIJ that Nielsen was living in block 2 of the facility and enjoying access to privileges reserved for ‘special inmates’.

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“He is in Block 2 and enjoying television, air conditioning, good food and internet,” this insider told FIJ. “That block is a special area where prison officials keep popular or powerful people who end up here.

“Nobody will execute him, but instead of serving time like everyone else and doing labour, he is enjoying the facilities.”

WARDENS MOVE NIELSEN TO MEDIUM SECURITY PRISON

On November 15, FIJ called Rotimi Oladokun, the Correctional Service Public Relations Officer, Lagos Command.

Oladokun denied the claim and said the correctional service was not providing any special privileges to Nielsen.

Meanwhile, on Monday, December 4, 2023, Nielsen was spotted on the grounds of the Kirikiri Medium Security Prison. Another insider in this facility captured a video of the Dane with prison officials.

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“The prison officials are planning to relocate him to medium security prison,” this insider told FIJ. “Earlier, they paid inmates N800 each to build a new facility in the compound.

“This facility is for inmates they now want to transfer from maximum to medium security.”

FIJ called Oladokun again on Saturday, but he again denied the correctional facility was providing special services to Nielsen.

“We have denied this in the past,” he told FIJ. “All prisoners are equal, and no one gets special treatment.”

When FIJ asked him why Nielsen was moved from the maximum security facility where death row inmates are kept, he refused to comment.

FIJ called Alao Babatunde, media aide to Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, but he said he was just learning of the matter and would look into it.