Gospel singer Osinachi’s husband sentenced to death by hanging

A federal capital territory high court in Wuse Zone 2 has sentenced Peter Nwachukwu, husband of Osinachi, the late gospel singer.

Delivering a Judgment on Monday, Njideka Nwosu-Iheme, presiding judge, found Nwachukwu guilty of culpable homicide which resulted in the death of his wife on April 8, 2022.

Osinachi, who passed away on April 8, 2022, was initially thought to have died of throat cancer.

But associates claimed her death was connected to assault by her husband who was later arrested.

The federal government filed a 23-count charge against Nwachukwu bordering on culpable homicide punishable with death, criminal intimidation, cruelty to children, criminal intimidation of children, spousal battery, among others.

The prosecution had called 17 witnesses to testify during the trial, which commenced on June 20, 2022, and ended on March 10, 2023.

The children of the accused also testified as fourth prosecution and fifth prosecution witnesses, PW4 and PW5, respectively.

HOSPITAL’S REPORT / NO-CASE SUBMISSION

The National Hospital in Abuja would later issue an autopsy, which stated that there was “no mark of violence on the deceased”.

The report listed the cause of Osinachi’s death to include “generalised organ pallor; bilateral leg swelling; fluid in the sac containing the heart; tumour deposits in and on the heart, lungs, kidneys; massively enlarged heart and fluid around the lungs which restrict breathing”.

Following the report, I. A. Aliyu, the defendant’s lead counsel, proceeded to file a no-case submission, implying that Nwachukwu had no case to answer.

But the no-case submission was dismissed by the court.

The defendant then testified for himself and called for other witnesses in his defence.

JUDGMENT

In her judgment, Nwosu-Iheme found the accused guilty of Count 1 and sentenced him to death by hanging.

He was also found guilty and sentenced to two years imprisonment each on counts 2, 3, 8,9, 12, 13, and 18.

The court sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment on count 10, three years imprisonment on count 11, while he was fined the sum of N500,000 and N200,000 on Counts 6 and 7, respectively.