A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court Wuse Zone 2 in Abuja presided over by Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme on Monday sentenced the husband of late gospel singer, Osinachi, Peter Nwachukwu, to death by hanging.
Nwachukwu was found guilty of culpable homicide resulting in the death of the deceased (his wife) on April 8, 2022.
Newsmata.com.ng recalls that during one of the proceedings on Tuesday October 11, 2022, some of the late gospel musician’s employees testified that her husband verbally and physically abused her.
Adetunji Moses, a former personal assistant (PA) to Osinachi, while giving his testimony led by the prosecution counsel, Yewande Gbola-Awopetu, alleged that on different occasions, Mr. Nwachukwu referred to his wife as useless, lazy and indolent during rehearsals.
He said he worked with the defendant and his wife as a PA and keyboardist from September 2018 to March 2021.
Stating that he left because he could no longer bear the defendant’s anger, which was most times directed at him, Moses recounted how Nwachukwu prevented the deceased’s families from visiting her while the music crew travelled to Enugu over claims that they hindered her success.
According to the witness, “On another occasion, we were to travel to Zimbabwe for ministration and that morning, Nwachukwu got into an argument with his mother-in-law, who was visiting at the time, and due to the altercation, we missed our flight.
“He tried to book us on another flight, but to no avail and on our way back from the airport, having missed our flight, it was a serious battle as Nwachukwu kept abusing his wife verbally”.
The former PA further alleged that during a programme in Lagos, the defendant instructed him not to allow the deceased’s twin sister to share the stage with her during ministration.
Moses stated that on a visit to Uyo for another ministration, a cheque was issued in the deceased’s name, and the defendant followed her to the bank to transfer the money into his account before he paid the crew members.
He alleged that some crew members left in anger over the defendant’s breach of the agreement.
Handing down the death sentence, Justice Nwosu-Iheme held that the prosecution had proven the burden of proof placed on it by the law and subsequently found the defendant guilty.
Nwachukwu was arraigned on June 3, 2022, by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF), on behalf of the Federal Government, on a 23-count charge.
The charge was on culpable homicide punishable with death, criminal intimidation, cruelty to children, criminal intimidation of children, spousal battery, among others.
During the trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses, including some of late Osinachi’s employees, two of her children, who testified as fourth and fifth prosecution witnesses, PW4 and PW5, respectively.
The prosecution also tendered 25 documents as exhibits before the court.
The defendant testified for the defence and further called four other witnesses and tendered four exhibits in his defence.
Shortly before sentencing, the defendant, counsel, Reginald Nwali, in his allocutus pleaded with the court to be lenient in its judgement, while the prosecution counsel, Mrs. Aderonke Imala, urged the court to give force to the law as stipulated.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme thereafter sentenced Nwachukwu to death by hanging on Count 1, while he was 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 in Count 11, while he was fined the sum of N500,000 and N200,000 respectively on Counts 6 and 7 respectively.