Peter Nwachukwu, husband of the late gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu, has been sentenced to death by hanging by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting at Wuse Zone 2, Abuja.
Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme delivered the judgment on Monday after dismissing Nwachukwu’s no-case submission, ruling that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Nwachukwu was arraigned on June 3, 2022, by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation on a 23-count charge bordering on culpable homicide punishable by death, spousal battery, cruelty to children, and criminal intimidation of children.
During the trial, the prosecution, led by Mrs. Aderonke Imana, called 17 witnesses, including two of the deceased’s children, who testified as the fourth and fifth prosecution witnesses. The prosecution also tendered 25 exhibits before the court to support its case.
The defendant testified in his own defence and further presented four additional witnesses along with four exhibits. His counsel, Reginald Nwali, in his final address, pleaded with the court to show leniency in its sentencing.
However, the prosecution urged the court to impose the full weight of the law, citing the seriousness of the offences and the tragic consequences.
After considering all the submissions, Justice Nwosu-Iheme sentenced Nwachukwu to death by hanging on Count 1, which pertained to culpable homicide. In addition, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment each on Counts 2, 3, 8, 9, 12, 13, and 18. He received six months’ imprisonment on Count 10 and three years’ imprisonment on Count 11.
Furthermore, the court imposed financial penalties on Nwachukwu, ordering him to pay a fine of N500,000 on Count 6 and another fine of N200,000 on Count 7, totaling N700,000.
Osinachi Nwachukwu died on April 8, 2022, at the age of 42. Her death sparked a wave of public outrage after multiple colleagues and associates accused her husband of longstanding domestic abuse, which was believed to have contributed to her death.
