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Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, has sentenced Peter Nwachukwu, husband of the late gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu, to death by hanging.
Delivering judgment, Justice Nwosu-Iheme found Nwachukwu guilty of culpable homicide, concluding that the prosecution had “proven the burden of proof placed on it by the law.”
The court held that Nwachukwu’s actions led directly to the singer’s death on April 8, 2022.
Nwachukwu was initially arraigned on June 3, 2022, on a 23-count charge, including culpable homicide, criminal intimidation, cruelty to children, and spousal battery.
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During the trial, the prosecution, led by Mrs Aderonke Imala from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, presented 17 witnesses, including two of the couple’s children, and submitted 25 exhibits.
In his defence, Nwachukwu testified personally, called four witnesses, and tendered four exhibits. While pleading for leniency, Nwachukwu’s counsel, Reginald Nwali, asked the court to temper justice with mercy.
However, Mrs Imala urged the court to uphold the law strictly, which the court eventually did.
In addition to the death sentence on Count 1, Justice Nwosu-Iheme handed Nwachukwu two years imprisonment each on Counts 2, 3, 8, 9, 12, 13, and 18.
He also received a six-month imprisonment for Count 10, a three-year imprisonment for Count 11, and was fined ₦500,000 and ₦200,000 on Counts 6 and 7, respectively.
The tragic case captured national attention, with Osinachi’s death sparking widespread conversations about domestic violence and the protection of vulnerable family members in Nigeria.