The husband of late Nigerian gospel singer, Osinachi, Peter Nwachukwu, has been sentenced to death by hanging.
Naijaonpoint reports that Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, found Peter guilty of culpable homicide resulting in the death of the deceased on April 8, 2022.
While sentencing Nwachukwu to death, the judge held that the prosecution had proven the burden of proof placed on it by the law and subsequently found the defendant guilty.
The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF), on behalf of the Federal Government, arraigned Peter on June 3, 2022, 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 the trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses, including two children of the late Osinachi, 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 on behalf of the defence and further called four other witnesses, tendering 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, Aderonke Imala, urged the court to enforce 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 and three years’ imprisonment on Count 11. Additionally, he was fined the sum of N500,000 and N200,000, respectively, on Counts 6 and 7.