Two Employees of the Late singer, Osinachi Nwachukwu, testified at the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), High Court that the deceased was verbally and physically abused by her husband, Peter Nwachukwu.
Osinachi’s former Personal Assistant, Mr Adetunji Moses told the court, which was led by the prosecution counsel, Yewande Gbola-Awopetu, that Peter had, on several occasions referred to the deceased as Useless, Lazy and Indolent.
Moses, who also worked as a keyboardist from September 2018 to March 2021, alleged that he could no longer bear the anger of the defendant which was sometimes directed at him.
“In 2018, we travelled to Enugu. I was informed by the people who invited us that Peter Nwachukwu left strict instructions that nobody should be allowed to visit mummy Osinachi.
“It was later I got to know that her family resided in Enugu and they were the reason he gave the instructions.
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“On another occasion, we were to travel to Zimbabwe for ministration and that morning, Nwachukwu got into an argument with his mother-in-law who was visiting at the time and due to the altercation, we missed our flight.
“He tried to book us on another flight, but to no avail and on our way back from the airport, having missed our flight, it was a serious battle as Nwachukwu kept abusing his wife verbally.
“He told her that her family members were around to hinder our progress, to shut the door of the ministry and the blessings of God,” Mr Moses said.
Also giving evidence, the deceased’s hairstylist, Ms. Blessing Iyamabe alleged that sometimes in 2013, when she went to the deceased’s house to make her hair, the defendant called his wife to give him her car key but Osinachi sent her son with the key.
“The defendant got angry, came to where we were making the hair and slapped his wife.
“I witnessed another abuse in 2018. He came to my shop and slapped the deceased for not seeking his permission before coming to the salon,” she alleged.
She also added that she had to make the deceased’s daughter’s hair in a toilet at a mall because she needed to hide to avoid the defendant.
After listening to the testimony, Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme adjourned the matter until Thursday for the continuation of the trial.
Osinachi was alleged to have died as a result of the domestic violence that she suffered from her husband.
Following her death, Nwachukwu was arrested and was arraigned on a 23-count charge bordering on domestic violence and culpable homicide.
However, Peter Nwachukwu denied killing the late gospel singer who is popularly known for her song, Ekwueme.