Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting at Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, has sentenced Peter Nwachukwu, husband of the late gospel singer Osinachi, to death by hanging, Alexa News Nigeria reports.
The judgement, delivered today, comes after the court found him guilty of culpable homicide, which led to the singer’s death on April 8, 2022.
The ruling followed a thorough trial in which the court held that the prosecution successfully established its case beyond reasonable doubt. Nwachukwu was arraigned on June 3, 2022, by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF) on behalf of the Federal Government. He faced a 23-count charge, including culpable homicide punishable by death, criminal intimidation, cruelty to children, spousal battery, and other related offences.
During the proceedings, the prosecution presented 17 witnesses, including two of the couple’s children who testified as the fourth and fifth prosecution witnesses. In addition, 25 documentary exhibits were tendered before the court. Nwachukwu, on his part, testified in his own defence and called four additional witnesses while tendering four exhibits.
Before the sentencing, the defendant’s counsel, Reginald Nwali, pleaded for leniency. However, prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Aderonke Imala, urged the court to uphold the law as prescribed.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme thereafter handed Nwachukwu a death sentence by hanging on Count 1. The court also imposed two years imprisonment each on Counts 2, 3, 8, 9, 12, 13, and 18; six months imprisonment on Count 10; and three years on Count 11. Additionally, the defendant was fined N500,000 and N200,000 on Counts 6 and 7 respectively.
