The relations of late Osinachi Nwachukwu can now heave a sigh of relief, as the outcome of her husband’s trial, Peter Nwachukwu which lasted about 3 years comes to an end.
Peter Nwachukwu has been sentenced to death by hanging by a Federal Capital Territory High Court following his conviction of culpable homicide resulting in the death of his wife in 2022.
Nwachukwu was arraigned on June 3, 2022, by the Office of 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.
The prosecution called 17 witnesses, in the course of trial, including the two children of the late Osinachi.
The late Osinachi Nwachukwu was initially thought to have died of cancer, but family and friends claimed her death was connected to assault by her husband.
Counsel for Nwachukwu, however proceeded to file a no-case submission, implying that Nwachukwu had no case to answer, following the autopsy report by the National Hospital in Abuja, which stated that there was no mark of violence on the deceased.
His counsel said evidence presented by the medical practitioners exonerated Nwachukwu from the allegations of culpable homicide and domestic violence, praying the court to discharge and acquit his client of all allegations.
The report listed the cause of Osinachi’s death to include “generalised organ pallor; bilateral leg swelling; fluid in the sac containing the heart; tumour deposits in and on the heart, lungs, kidneys; massively enlarged heart and fluid around the lungs which restrict breathing”.
The court however dismissed the no-case submission and ordered the defendant to open his defence.
The defendant testified for the defence and further called four other witnesses and tendered four exhibits in his defence.
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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 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.
Among several allegations the then fifty six year old Peter Nwachukwu was alleged to have assaulted Osinachi at their residence in Aco estate, lugbe Abuja on eight of April, 2022, 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 and psychological abuse contrary to section 14(1) of the Violence Against Persons’s prohibition Act, 2015.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
