The family of gospel musician, Osinachi Nwachukwu, has fixed June 25, 2022, for her burial.
The singer, who shot into the limelight with the hit “Ekwueme“, which has been viewed 72 million times on YouTube, died in an Abuja hospital on April 8.
The 42-year-old songstress was a lead singer at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre.
She featured in several popular gospel songs like “Nara Ekele” by Pastor Paul Enenche (Dunamis, Abuja) and “You no dey use me play” by Emma.
The mother of four was allegedly repeatedly brutalised by her husband, which later led to her untimely death.
It was initially reported that the singer died of throat cancer. Still, shortly after the news of her death went viral, her family and friends lamented that her union with Peter Nwachukwu was a violent one.
According to the BBC Igbo, the late gospel singer’s family will bury her in her father’s compound in Isuochi, Abia state.
Some of her family members also told BBC Igbo that they plan to return the bride price, which her husband, Mr Nwachukwu, paid as part of her marriage rites.
Mr Nwachukwu’s fate
The police arrested Mr Nwachukwu on April 11, after Osinachi’s younger brother reported a case of culpable homicide against him.
The father-of-four appeared before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Friday, where he was charged with 23-count by the federal government.
The case, with charge number CR/199/2022, was filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on May 20, 2022, by the Head, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Ministry of Justice, Yewande Gbola-Awopetun.
He was charged under sections 104 and 379 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, by the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Mr Nwachukwu was charged with culpable homicide contrary to section 221 of the Penal Code, which is punishable with death.
The federal government alleged that the defendant deprived the deceased of her liberty by restraining her movement and locking her up in the house.
The prosecution also accused the defendant of subjecting the deceased to emotional, verbal and psychological abuse, contrary to Section 14(1) of the VAP Act, 2015.
The prosecution told the court that investigations revealed that the defendant denied Osinachi access to her money for medication and household necessities and thereby forced her into begging and borrowing.
The prosecution counsel alleged that Osinachi’s husband forcefully isolated and separated her from her family by preventing her mother and siblings from visiting her matrimonial home.
Mr Nwachukwu was further charged for cruelly beating his children, recording their cries and playing with them on his phone.
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.”
