By Deborah Onyofufeke, Abuja

Husband of the late gospel artist, Osinachi Nwachukwu, Mr Peter Nwachukwu, who was arraigned on a 23-count charge bordering on culpable homicide, has pleaded not guilty before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, to the allegations of killing his wife by the Federal Government.

The presiding judge, Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme, in a short ruling, ordered Nwachukwu’s remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre while she approved an accelerated hearing of the matter. “The defendant should be remanded in Kuje Correctional Facility, pending the hearing and determination of this suit,” she said.

It was alleged that the late gospel singer died as a result of a prolonged assault by her husband.
The charge against Nwachukwu, which was filed by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, on behalf of the Federal Government, stated among other things, that the late singer was allegedly, forcefully thrown out of her matrimonial home by her husband, contrary to the Violence Against Persons (VAP) (Prohibition) Act, 2015.

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It was also alleged that the defendant had at a time, forcefully pushed Osinachi, his late wife out of a moving vehicle, deprived her of her personal liberty by restraining her movement and locking her up in the house.

The court was also told that investigations unearthed how the defendant denied the deceased access to her money for medication and household necessities, and thereby forced her into begging and borrowing.

The government also alleged that the late singer’s husband allegedly forced her to stay away from her family by preventing her mother and siblings from visiting her matrimonial home, just as he was accused of subjecting the deceased to emotional, verbal and psychological abuse, contrary to Section 14(1) of the VAP Act, 2015.

Nwachukwu was specifically charged for allegedly committing culpable homicide under Sections 104 and 379 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, an offence contrary to Section 221 of the Penal Code and punishable with death.

The charge marked CR/199/2022, was entered before the court by the Head, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Ministry of Justice, Mrs Yewande Gbola-Awopetun.

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Nwachukwu was further charged for beating his children mercilessly and recording their cry to later play it on his phone while he threatened the kids and prevented them from reporting the acts of domestic violence against their mother to the head pastor of their church, Dr Paul Enenche, or any other person.
Specifically, some of the counts in the charge 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.”

The court adjourned the case till June 16 and 17