Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Wuse Zone 2 has sentenced Peter Nwachukwu, the husband of late gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu, to death by hanging.
According to The PUNCH, delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Nwosu-Iheme found Nwachukwu guilty of culpable homicide in relation to the death of his wife on April 8, 2022. “The prosecution has successfully established its case beyond reasonable doubt,” the judge declared while pronouncing the verdict.
Nwachukwu was initially arraigned on June 3, 2022, on a 23-count charge filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF) on behalf of the Federal Government. The charges included culpable homicide punishable by death, spousal battery, criminal intimidation, cruelty against children, and other related offences.
During the trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses, including two of the late singer’s children, who testified as Prosecution Witnesses Four and Five (PW4 and PW5). A total of 25 documents were tendered as evidence. For his defence, Nwachukwu testified personally, called four witnesses, and presented four exhibits.
Before the sentencing, Nwachukwu’s counsel, Reginald Nwali, appealed for leniency, urging the court to temper justice with mercy. However, the prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Aderonke Imala, insisted that the law must take its full course. “Justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done,” Imala argued.
Following deliberations, Justice Nwosu-Iheme sentenced Nwachukwu to death by hanging on Count 1. Additional sentences were handed down: two years’ imprisonment each on Counts 2, 3, 8, 9, 12, 13, and 18; six months’ imprisonment on Count 10; and three years’ imprisonment on Count 11. Furthermore, the defendant was fined ₦500,000 and ₦200,000 on Counts 6 and 7 respectively.
The court ruling brings a tragic chapter to a close, more than three years after Osinachi’s death shocked the nation and triggered widespread conversations about domestic violence.
