Pathologist attributes Zainab Nielsen death to suffocation

A Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere has been told how
Nigerian singer, Zainab Nielsen, alias Alizee, and her three and
half-year old daughter, Petra, died of head injuries and asphyxia
(or suffocation) that were not self-inflicted.

A Consultant Pathologist, Professor John Obafunwa, told the
Presiding Judge, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile that his post-mortem
examination of Zainab’s corpse suggested that she was killed when
her nose and mouth were forcibly closed which deprived her of
oxygen to breath

She also suffered bruises around her head which were consistent
with “blunt force trauma that were not enough to cause any
fracture.”

Obafunwa said evidence showed that the deceased struggled to
free herself from her killer’s grip using her hands and nails.

The result of a DNA analysis of Zainab’s nail clipping, the
witness added, revealed the presence of her DNA material and that
of “an individual described as Peter”.

Obafunwa testified in the twin murder trial of Zainab’s husband,
Peter Nielsen, who is alleged to have killed Zainab, 29, and Petra
on April 5 at the couple’s Banana Island, Lagos home.

Nielsen, 53, was arraigned on June 13 on a two-count charge of
murder contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State,
2015.

Attorney-General of Lagos State AG and Commissioner for Justice,
Kazeem Adeniji, told the judge that Nielsen murdered both Zainab
and Petra at about 3:45am at No. 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower,
Banana Island Ikoyi.

Nielsen denied the charge.

At the commencement of proceedings today, Lagos State Director
of Public Prosecution (DPP), Ms. Titilayo Shitta-Bey, led Obafunwa
in evidence.

Shitta-Bey tendered two compact discs containing pictures of
Obafunwa’s autopsy and they were admitted by the court as
exhibit.

The court also permitted the prosecution to play a video clips
of the pictures to explain Obafunwa’s testimony.

Obafunwa said he performed the autopsy on Zainab and Petra on
April 8, two days after they were found dead.

He told the court that he found abrasions on Zainab’s face,
typical of nail marks, and abrasions on the inside of her upper and
lower lips.

There were also marks underneath her scalp, surface of the skull
bone.

Obafunwa said: “It was all over, not just on one location.”

Obafunwa explained that toxicology reports ruled out poison as
the cause of her death .

“Toxicology results showed that nothing – no chemical, alcohol,
whatever – was found in her system.

“Nail scrapings, according to the Lagos State DNA Lab, revealed
the presence of DNA material composing a mixture of Zainab and
another male individual described as Peter. It went on to say Peter
cannot be completely exsonorated.”

When Shitta-Bey asked the witness for the likely cause of the
Zainab’s death, based on his autopsy, Obafunwa said:

“I concluded that the death in the case of Zainab resulted from
a closed cranio-cerebral injury with asphyxia. Closed refers to the
fact there was no skull fracture. The conclusion of asphyxia was
what I highlighted: brain swelling, engorgement of the lungs,
numerous pin-point haemorrhage….the fluidity of blood – absence of
clot – is consistent with asphyxia, which is a state of reduced or
absolute absence of oxygen to the blood. The question is, why
inadequate oxygen in the blood?”

The witness explained that the evidence was indicative of
forcible closure of the nose and lips. The victim would have been
struggling. The evidence in support of this would be the nail marks
trying to remove or disengage the blockage. It was no surprise to
me the result of the DNA that I got on the nail clippings.”

He ruled out “a single fall to the ground” as the cause of
Zainab’s head injury.

“Blunt force trauma was around the head, all over, not just a
fall to one side,” Obafunwa added.

The pathologists’ conclusion for the cause of Petra’s death was
similar. He however noted that the evidence for blunt force trauma
was much more severe in the child than in her mother.

Justice Okikiolu-Ighile has adjourned till tomorrow for
continuation of trial.

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