Late Gospel Singer Osinachi Nwachukwu and Her Nwachukwu
In the Federal Capital Territory High Court located in Wuse Zone 2, Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme has rejected the no-case submission presented by Peter Nwachukwu, the husband of the late gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu.
During the ruling, Justice Nwosu-Iheme declared that the prosecution has successfully proven a case against the defendant.
In relation to Osinachi’s demise, the Federal Government had lodged a 23-count charge against Nwachukwu.
In the course of the trial, commencing on June 20, 2022, and concluding on March 10, 2023, the defendant, who had pleaded not guilty, was held in custody at the Kuje detention facility until the next hearing.
Initially, Mrs. Osinachi’s passing on April 8, 2022, was attributed to throat cancer, but later, allegations from family and friends implicated her husband, leading to his arrest.
Subsequently, the National Hospital in Abuja conducted an autopsy, which revealed that there were no signs of violence on the deceased. The report outlined the causes of Osinachi’s demise, including “generalized organ pallor, bilateral leg swelling, fluid around the heart, tumor deposits in various organs, massively enlarged heart, and fluid around the lungs, which hindered breathing.”
In response to this report, Mr. Nwachukwu’s attorney, I.A. Aliyu, submitted a no-case motion, arguing that Nwachukwu had no case to answer.
Aliyu claimed that the evidence presented by the medical practitioners cleared Nwachukwu of the charges of culpable homicide and domestic violence.
According to him, Osinachi died “solely as a result of outgrowth tumors, which resulted in cardiac tamponade, the primary cause of death and abnormal growth of tissue (cancer) which is the secondary cause of death”.
He requested the court to set his client free and declare him innocent of all accusations.
Nevertheless, the court denied the no-case submission and instructed the defendant to present his defense.