PETER Nielsen, a 53-year-old Danish man who is currently standing trial at a Lagos State High Court for allegedly murdering his wife and daughter, will remain in prison custody until October.

Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile gave the remand order on Thursday after Nielsen was arraigned by the Lagos State Government on a two-count charge of murder.

Prosecution lawyer, Adeniji Kazeem, told the court that Neilsen killed his wife, Zainab, and their three-year-old daughter, Petra, on April 5, at their residence in Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The accused person pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Kazeem, who is also the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, asked the court for a trial date, and also for the accused to be remanded in prison.

Counsel to the defendant, Olasupo Shasore, himself a former Attorney-General of Lagos, did not object to the request, but asked the court to allow the defence team take blood samples of the accused person for a DNA test.

“We are interested in taking the blood sample of the defendant; I thought it will be better to inform this court that his blood sample would be taken for DNA, analysis,” Shasore said.

Justice Okikiolu-Ighile granted the request after obtaining the defendants consent.

Also, Shasore asked for a copy of the result of the autopsy conducted on the bodies of the defendant’s deceased wife and daughter.

“We are interested in the autopsy report and the prosecution has assured us that we would get it in four weeks. We need to consult some of our experts for analysis of the test as we would need it during the trial,” Shashore said.

Justice Okikiolu-Ighile ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody while adjourning the case till October 8 and 9 for the commencement of trial.

Nielsen  was first arraigned at the Yaba Chief Magistrate’s Court in April, and was remanded at the Ikoyi Prison.

During the first arraignment, Effiong Asuquo, a Chief Superintendent of Police, told the court that the accused person was always at loggerheads with his wife, and had hit her head against the wall several times, leading to her death. He also proceeded to poison his daughter.

“He had dragged their lifeless bodies under the gas to create the impression that they suffocated to death as a result of a gas leakage,”Asuquo said.