Justice Nwosu-Iheme of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, has sentenced Peter Nwachukwu, husband of late Nigerian gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu, to death by hanging.
The ruling was delivered on Monday, April 28, 2025, after the court found Nwachukwu guilty of culpable homicide leading to the death of his wife on April 8, 2022.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme ruled that the prosecution had successfully proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, meeting the burden of proof required by law.
Nwachukwu was initially arraigned on June 3, 2022, by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF) on a 23-count charge. The charges included culpable homicide punishable by death, criminal intimidation, cruelty to children, spousal battery, and other related offences.
Throughout the trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses, including two of the couple’s children who testified as the fourth and fifth prosecution witnesses (PW4 and PW5). In addition, 25 documents were tendered as exhibits.
For his defence, Nwachukwu testified personally and called four other witnesses, submitting four exhibits.
Before sentencing, his lawyer, Reginald Nwali, pleaded for leniency, while the prosecution, led by Mrs. Aderonke Imala, urged the court to uphold the full weight of the law.
In addition to the death sentence on Count 1, the court handed Nwachukwu two years’ imprisonment each on Counts 2, 3, 8, 9, 12, 13, and 18; six months’ imprisonment on Count 10; and three years’ imprisonment on Count 11. He was also fined ₦500,000 and ₦200,000 on Counts 6 and 7, respectively.
The case, which drew widespread public attention, highlighted issues of domestic violence and justice for victims of spousal abuse.
