Late Osinachi’s husband arrested as Nigerians rise against domestic violence

Peter Nwachukwu, the husband of late popular gospel artiste, Osinachi, has been arrested by the police over the death of his wife.

He was arrested by officers of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command over the death of his wife.

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Confirming the arrest, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, said, “He is now in our custody. The younger brother of the deceased reported the matter and we have commenced investigation.”

Osinachi, 42, died on Friday after spending days at an undisclosed hospital in Abuja.

Her colleagues, via social media had accused her husband of beating her.

In a live Instagram video, a popular singer, Frank Edwards, alleged that Osinachi’s husband abused her on several occasions.

“One time in a studio, this man slapped her just because she wanted to record the song in Igbo against his will. She does not do anything on her own.

“She would say, please beg my husband. She was at his mercy. I didn’t know the intensity of what she was going through; I didn’t know how somebody would be jealous of the wife he claimed to love.

“There are a lot of stories where people told her this and that, but what I know was that the control was too much. The other time somebody wanted me to get her for an event, and I contacted her, but she said ‘beg my husband’.

“She couldn’t even tell people what she was going through. I only got to know because Aunty Joy contacted me to promote her song. That was when I got a glimpse into what was happening,” Edward said.

Also, in a tweet, a former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, said the allegation of domestic violence worsened the pain of Osinachi’s death, calling on churches to take issues of violence against women serious.

“The death of Osinachi Nwachukwu of the epic Ekwueme worship song really hit hard. To read allegations of spousal abuse worsens the pain. I hope the truth is unearth and justice given. Everyone, including Churches must take issues of Violence Against Women seriously. Urgently✍🏾,” Ezekwesili tweeted.

On social media, many people have been sharing accounts of domestic violence, which they kicked against.

Osinachi, who was a lead singer at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre, shot into the limelight  in 2017, with the hit “Ekwueme”, which  featured another singer, Prospa Ochimana.