In a significant judgment that has captivated the nation, Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Wuse Zone 2, on Monday sentenced Peter Nwachukwu — husband of late gospel star Osinachi Nwachukwu — “to death by hanging” for her tragic death on “April 8, 2022”.
The ruling followed the dismissal of a “no-case submission” filed by Nwachukwu. The court declared him “guilty of culpable homicide,” affirming that the prosecution had “overwhelmingly proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.”
Arraigned on “June 3, 2022,” by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF), Nwachukwu faced a “23-count charge,” including “criminal intimidation, cruelty to children, spousal battery,” and more.
Throughout the gripping trial, “17 witnesses” — including “two of Osinachi’s children” — delivered “damning testimonies.” The prosecution also presented “25 pieces of documentary evidence,” painting a “chilling portrait of abuse and fatal violence.”
Nwachukwu, in his defense, called “four witnesses” and tendered “four exhibits,” but it was “not enough to sway the court.”
Before sentencing, his lawyer, Reginald Nwali, made “an emotional plea for mercy,” but the prosecution, led by Mrs. Aderonke Imala, “pushed for the harshest possible penalty.”
Justice Nwosu-Iheme handed down the “death sentence for Count 1,” alongside “multiple prison terms and fines across other charges” — including “two years’ imprisonment for spousal cruelty counts” and “financial penalties totaling N700,000.”
This “high-profile case” has ignited “national conversations about domestic violence, justice for victims, and the power of the legal system to hold abusers accountable.”
