History was made on April 28, 2025, when Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, delivered a landmark judgment that has resonated across Nigeria and beyond.
Peter Nwachukwu, the husband of late gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu, was sentenced to death by hanging, following his conviction for culpable homicide that led to the death of his wife on April 8, 2022.
After a painful and rigorous legal battle, the court found that the prosecution had proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Peter Nwachukwu subjected his wife to years of physical, emotional, and psychological abuse—abuse so grievous that it eventually took her life. Justice has finally been served. 
Peter Nwachukwu had first been arraigned on June 3, 2022, on a 23-count charge brought by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF). These charges included culpable homicide, spousal battery, criminal intimidation, and cruelty to children. Throughout the trial, the prosecution presented seventeen witnesses, including two of Osinachi’s children, and tendered twenty-five critical documents as evidence. Despite Nwachukwu’s testimony and his attempt to defend himself with four witnesses, the court found his guilt overwhelming.
Before the final verdict, his lawyer pleaded for mercy, but the court stood firm. Justice Nwosu-Iheme sentenced him:
- Count 1 (Culpable Homicide): Death by hanging.
- Counts 2, 3, 8, 9, 12, 13, and 18 each are two years of imprisonment.
- Count 10: Six months’ imprisonment.
- Count 11: Three years’ imprisonment.
- Counts 6 and 7: Monetary fines of ₦500,000 and ₦200,000, respectively.
The case is a reflection of a deep wound in society where many suffer in silence behind closed doors. Osinachi’s death tore open a painful reality: that too many women, even the most celebrated among us, are trapped in cycles of abuse, believing that endurance is a virtue and that silence is a sacrifice worth making.
Dear woman, dear man, or whomever you are reading this, let this serve as a stark reminder: Love should not cause pain. Marriage is not intended to cause death. Silence is not nobility when your life is at stake.
If you are trapped in an abusive relationship, please know you are not alone. There is hope. There is help. There is life beyond fear; run and speak out! Seek help before it is too late. Osinachi stayed too long. Her voice has been silenced, but her story must not be in vain.
This ruling is a win for justice. It is a win for Osinachi, though six feet under the ground. It is a win for every silent tear shed by victims of domestic violence. It is a warning to every abuser that the law will catch up. It is a statement that Nigeria will no longer look away.
May Osinachi’s soul find peace, and may her story be the turning point for many to choose life over toxic loyalty.
