…How children’s testimonies nailed the killer-husband
By Didimoko A. Didimoko, with NAN report
Three years after she was murdered, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced Peter Nwachukwu, the husband of the late sensational gospel singer, Osinachi Nwachukwu, to death by hanging.
Nwachukwu was found guilty of the murder of his wife, who various sources had said suffered multiple brutalisation by the convict during their marriage, including the one that led to her death.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme of a FCT High Court Wuse Zone 2 in Abuja, in a ruling on Monday, found guilty of culpable homicide resulting in the death of the deceased (his wife) on April 8, 2022.
The judge 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.
In the course of trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses, including two children of the late Osinachi, 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 judgment.
Similarly, the prosecution counsel, Mrs Aderonke Imala, urged the court to give force to the law as stipulated.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme subsequently 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. (NAN)
