Peter Nwachukwu, husband of the late gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu, could be facing death penalty if he is convicted for culpable homicide.
The defendant was charged by the office of the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice with culpable homicide contrary to section 221 of the Penal Code which is punishable with death.
Mr Nwachukwu allegedly subjected his wife to years of domestic violence. Osinachi passed on on April 8 at the National Hospital in Abuja.
Pastor Paul Enenche, who is the senior pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre headquartered in Abuja where Osinachi was a lead singer, revealed in April that the ‘Ekwueme’ singer complained of chest pain but never told him about her marital struggles.
While the result of the autopsy conducted by the police on Osinachi has not been made public, the musician’s family is blaming Nwachukwu for her death. Nwachukwu’s family, on the other hand, appears not to be standing with him after he allegedly isolated himself from them.
Nwachukwu will be arraigned at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on a date which will be decided by the court.
The first count of 23 charges reads, “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.”
