KEY POINTS

• Peter Nwachukwu was sentenced to death for the homicide of gospel singer Osinachi, whose 2022 death exposed systemic domestic violence issues in Nigeria.

• The trial included testimony from the couple’s children and highlighted low prosecution rates for gender-based crimes despite existing laws.

• The case has reignited debates on legal reforms and cultural shifts needed to protect vulnerable women in Nigerian households.

A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has sentenced Peter Nwachukwu, husband of late gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu, to death by hanging for culpable homicide in connection with her April 2022 death.

Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme delivered the verdict on Monday, concluding a nearly three-year legal battle that drew widespread attention to domestic violence in Nigeria.

The court found Nwachukwu guilty of 23 charges, including spousal battery, cruelty to children, and criminal intimidation, following testimony from 17 prosecution witnesses, including two of the couple’s children.

“The prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt,” Justice Nwosu-Iheme stated, rejecting defense pleas for leniency. Nwachukwu received additional prison terms and fines for lesser charges, including two years for child cruelty and N500,000 for criminal intimidation. Osinachi, famed for her hit “Ekwueme,” died at 42 after years of alleged abuse, with autopsy reports citing “blunt force trauma” as the cause.

Her death ignited national outrage, prompting protests and calls for stricter enforcement of Nigeria’s Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act.

Osinachi: Trial exposes systemic failures in addressing gender-based violence

Channelstv reports that the case highlighted gaps in Nigeria’s response to domestic abuse, despite the VAPP Act’s 2015 passage.

A 2024 National Bureau of Statistics report revealed that 30% of Nigerian women experience physical violence by age 15, yet fewer than 10% of cases reach prosecution. “Osinachi’s tragedy is a mirror held to our collective failure,” said Women’s Rights Advocate Aisha Yesufu during a post-verdict press conference. “We must ensure no more women die in silence.”

During the trial, the couple’s children testified about witnessing prolonged abuse, with their son recalling “how our father would beat her with belts and fists.” Prosecutors presented medical records showing Osinachi sought treatment for fractured ribs weeks before her death.

Nwachukwu’s defense, led by Reginald Nwali, argued the singer died from cancer—a claim dismissed by the court after pathology evidence contradicted it.

The verdict has drawn mixed reactions. While activists hailed it as a landmark moment, some legal experts criticized the death penalty as excessive. “Accountability is vital, but we must question whether state-sanctioned killing advances justice,” argued human rights lawyer Chidi Anselm. Meanwhile, Osinachi’s family expressed relief. “This judgment honors her memory,” her sister, Favour Madu, told reporters. “But no sentence can fill the void she left.”