Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, has sentenced the husband of late gospel singer, Osinachi Nwachukwu, Peter Nwachukwu, to death by hanging.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme found him guilty of culpable homicide resulting in the death of the deceased on April 8, 2022.
The judge sentenced Nwachukwu to death while sentencing him after the court had 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 bordering 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 Nwachukwu, who testified as fourth prosecution and fifth prosecution witnesses, PW4 and PW5 respectively, while it 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 for Nwachukwu, Reginald Nwali, pleaded with the court to be lenient in its judgment, while the prosecuting 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 on Count 11, while he was fined the sum of N500,000 and N200,000 respectively on Counts 6 and 7, respectively.
The late gospel artist who had several tracks, including Ekwueme died on April 8, 2022, at the age of 42. Her death triggered outrage in the country, with fans and Nigerians calling for justice for the singer.