A federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, has fixed October 17 for the ruling of the no-case submission filed by Peter Nwachukwu, husband of Osinachi, the late gospel singer.
The gospel singer, who passed away on April 8, 2022, was initially thought to have died of throat cancer.
But associates claimed it was connected to an assault by her husband who was later arrested.
The federal government had filed a 23-count charge against Peter over the death of Osinachi.
After pleading not guilty, Njideka Nwosu-Iheme, the presiding judge, remanded the defendant to the Kuje correctional facility pending further hearing.
ADVERTISEMENT
The prosecution had called 17 witnesses to testify during the trial, which commenced on June 20, 2022, and ended on March 10, 2023.
The National Hospital in Abuja would later issue an autopsy report, which stated that there was “no mark of violence on the deceased”.
The report listed the cause of Osinachi’s death to include “generalised organ pallor; bilateral leg swelling; fluid in the sac containing the heart; tumor deposits in and on the heart, lungs, kidneys; massively enlarged heart and fluid around the lungs which restrict breathing”.
Following the report, I. A. Aliyu, the defendant’s lead counsel, proceeded to file a no-case submission, implying that Nwachukwu had no case to answer.
Aliyu said evidence presented by the medical practitioners exonerates Nwachukwu from the allegations of culpable homicide and domestic violence.
He said the autopsy report confirms that 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 a secondary cause of death”.
The lawyer insisted that “there was no mark of violence on the deceased at the time the autopsy was conducted”.
Aliyu also claimed that the children (aged 14 and under) were “tutored” on what to say during their testimony against their father.
At the resumption of the hearing on Tuesday, Aliyu prayed to the court to upload his no-case submission and dismiss the defendant.
However, the prosecution counsel requested the court to dismiss the defendant’s submission while ordering him to enter defense in the case.
Nwosu-Iheme later adjourned the ruling to October 17.
Source: Vanguard
