Danish man’s death sentence confirmed in Nigeria

A Danish man, Peter Nielsen, had his death sentence confirmed by an appellate court in Nigeria for the 2018 murders of his wife and daughter. According to Newswire, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged their awareness of the case and stated they are providing consular assistance and are in close contact with the defense attorney. Nielsen, who was sentenced to death by hanging in May 2022, denied the charges, claiming he discovered the bodies upon waking up. Police believed the mother and child were assaulted in their bedroom before being moved to the kitchen. The Danish Ministry has informed Nigerian authorities of Denmark and the EU’s opposition to the death penalty. Amnesty International’s 2023 report notes the last execution in Nigeria was in late 2016, but data on the death penalty use has been difficult to gather since 2018.