Peter Nwachukwu, the husband of the late Nigerian gospel singer Osinachi, was given a death sentence by hanging.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme of the FCT High Court Wuse Zone 2 in Abuja, Nigeria, gave him the sentence on Monday, April 28, 2025.
On April 8, 2022, a jury found Nwachukwu guilty of negligent homicide, which resulted in the death of his wife.
The judge determined that the prosecution had met the legal burden of proof and that the defendant was guilty.
On behalf of the Federal Government, Nwachukwu was charged with 23 counts and arraigned on June 3, 2022, by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF).
A number of charges were brought against him, including culpable homicide with a death sentence, criminal intimidation, child maltreatment, and marital battery.
The prosecution called 17 witnesses during the trial, including two of the late Osinachi’s children, who served as the fourth and fifth prosecution witnesses.
Additionally, the prosecution submitted 25 documents to the court as exhibits.
The defendant presented four exhibits in support of his case, summoned four additional witnesses, and testified on behalf of the defence.
Just before the judge’s announcement, the defendant’s attorney, Reginald Nwali, begged the court to be forgiving in its ruling.
However, Aderonke Imala, the prosecution’s attorney, encouraged the court to use the full force of the law while rendering its decision.
Following that, the judge sentenced Nwachukwu to two years in jail on Counts 2, 3, 8, 9, 12, 13, and 18, and to death by hanging on Count 1.
The defendant was fined N500,000 and N200,000 on Counts 6 and 7, respectively, and was sentenced to three years in jail on Count 11 and six months in prison on Count 10.
Osinachi passed away on April 8, 2022, and many of her coworkers believe that her husband killed her by abusing her at home.
Osinachi, 42, was the main act at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre.
Alongside Prospa Ochimana, the singer sang the famous song “Ekwueme”, which catapulted her into the spotlight.
The singer’s death was first attributed to throat cancer. But soon after her death became widely known, her friends and relatives bemoaned the violent nature of her marriage to Peter Nwachukwu.
Following a report of culpable homicide by Osinachi’s younger brother, Mr Nwachukwu was taken into custody by Abuja police on April 11, 2022.
He was then charged with 23 charges when he appeared before the Federal Capital Territory’s High Court in Abuja on May 27, 2022.
