FG charges Osinachi Nwachukwu’s husband with Culpable Homicide

The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed a 23-count charge against Peter Nwachukwu, husband of late gospel artist, Osinachi Nwachukwu, who died on April 8, 2022 after she was allegedly assaulted by her spouse.

The 42-year-old singer, who came into national limelight with the hit gospel song, ‘Ekwueme’, which she performed alongside Prospa Ochimana, died after spending days at an undisclosed hospital in Abuja.

Mr Nwachukwu was consequently arrested by the police, following allegations of battery against the accused by colleagues of Osinachi, who was a lead singer at the Dunamis International Headquarters, Abuja.

He is now charged with culpable homicide, under sections 104 and 379 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, against section 221 of the Penal Code which is punishable with death.

The case with charge number, CR/199/2022, was filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on May 20, 2022, by the Head, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Ministry of Justice, Mrs Yewande Gbola-Awopetun.

The prosecutor accused the defendant of forcefully ejecting the deceased from the family home, contrary to the VAP Act, adding that he also attempted culpable homicide by pushing Osinachi out of a moving vehicle.

The Federal Government further alleged that the defendant deprived the deceased of her personal liberty by restraining her movement and locking her up in the house.

READ: Police intelligence team arrests husband for gruesome murder of wife

Nwachukwu was equally accused of emotional, verbal and psychological abuse contrary to section 14(1) of the VAP Act, 2015.

The defendant was said to have denied Osinachi access to her money for medication and household necessities and forced her into begging and borrowing.

The charge further alleges that Osinachi’s husband forcefully isolated and separated her from her family by preventing the deceased’s mother and siblings from visiting her matrimonial home.

Nwachukwu was similarly accused of cruelly beating the children and recording their cry and playing it on his phone, noting that he threatened the children and prevented them from reporting the acts of domestic violence against their mother to his pastor, Dr Paul Enenche or any other person.

Some of the count read: “That you Peter Nwachukwu, 56, male, on the 8th of April, 2022 at Aco Estate, opposite police station, Lugbe, Abuja, FCT, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did commit an offence to with: culpable homicide punishable with death in that you caused the death of Mrs Osinachi Nwachukwu by your various acts of violence and aggravated assault with the knowledge that her death would be the probable consequence of your acts.

“That you, Peter Nwachukwu, male, sometime between 14th November 2009 and April 2022 at Aco Estate, opposite police station, Lugbe, Abuja, FCT, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did commit an offence to wit: emotional, verbal and psychological abuse on Mrs Osinachi Nwachukwu (deceased) by humiliating her and making utterances like ‘you are smelling,’ ‘you are mad,’ to her in the presence of her music crew members.”