ABUJA — Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, sitting in Wuse Zone 2, has delivered a final verdict in the high-profile case involving Peter Nwachukwu, husband of the late gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu, sentencing him to death by hanging for culpable homicide.
The judgment, issued on Tuesday, concluded a legal process that began following Osinachi’s death on 8 April 2022. Justice Nwosu-Iheme ruled that the prosecution had satisfactorily met the burden of proof required by law, establishing Nwachukwu’s responsibility for actions that led to his wife’s death.
The court held that "the prosecution had proven the burden of proof placed on it by the law and subsequently found the defendant guilty," following which the judge imposed the death penalty for the charge of culpable homicide.
Nwachukwu had first appeared in court on 3 June 2022 after being arraigned by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation on a 23-count indictment. The charges included culpable homicide punishable by death, criminal intimidation, spousal abuse, cruelty to children, and other offences under Nigeria’s criminal code.
During the course of the trial, 17 prosecution witnesses were called to testify, among them two of the couple’s children who appeared as the fourth and fifth prosecution witnesses. A total of 25 documentary exhibits were submitted in evidence.
In his defence, Nwachukwu took the witness stand and also called four additional witnesses. Four documents were tendered by the defence as exhibits.
Prior to the court’s sentencing, Nwachukwu’s legal representative, Reginald Nwali, appealed for clemency. In response, the prosecuting counsel, Mrs Aderonke Imala, urged the court to apply the full weight of the law.
In addition to the death sentence on Count 1, the court imposed several other penalties:
- Two years’ imprisonment each on Counts 2, 3, 8, 9, 12, 13, and 18
- Six months’ imprisonment on Count 10
- Three years’ imprisonment on Count 11
- Monetary fines of ₦500,000 and ₦200,000 on Counts 6 and 7 respectively
Osinachi Nwachukwu, a Nigerian gospel artist known for songs such as Ekwueme, died at the age of 42. Her death provoked widespread public reaction, with calls for justice echoing across the country. The court’s decision brings legal closure to a case that has gripped national attention since 2022.