Two employees of Osinachi Nwachukwu, the late gospel singer, have testified that Peter Nwachukwu, her embattled husband, verbally and physically abused her.
According to NAN, the witnesses appeared before an FCT high court on Tuesday to speak on the case.
The federal government had filed a 23-count charge against Peter over the death of Osinachi.
The gospel singer, who passed away on April 8, 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.
Adetunji Moses, a former PA to Osinachi, while giving his testimony, alleged that Nwachukwu often referred to his wife as “useless, lazy, and indolent” during rehearsals on different occasions.
He said he worked with the defendant and his wife as a PA and a keyboardist from September 2018 to March 2021.
Moses alleged that he left because he could no longer bear the anger of the defendant which he said was most times directed at him.
“In 2018, we traveled to Enugu. I was informed by the people who invited us that Nwachukwu left strict instructions that nobody should be allowed to visit mummy Osinachi,” the witness said.
“It was later I got to know that her family resided in Enugu and they were the reason he gave the instructions.
“On another occasion, we were to travel to Zimbabwe for ministration. 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. 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.”
The former PA further alleged that the defendant, during a programme in Lagos, instructed him not to allow her twin sister to share the stage with her during ministration.
Moses stated that, on a visit to Uyo for another ministration, a cheque was issued in the deceased’s name and the defendant followed her to the bank to transfer the money into his account before he paid the crew members.
“Some of the crew members like the bass guitarist got angry and left the group because of the defendant’s refusal to keep to the terms of their agreement which is to pay them a percentage from every ministration,” he said.
During cross-examination, I. A. Aliyu, the defendant’s lead counsel, asked Moses if the deceased always complained about ulcer pains to him and he said yes.
Aliyu equally asked how close Moses was to the deceased as her PA.
He said they had close interaction whenever they travel for ministration outside Abuja.
The counsel also asked him if he was angry with the defendant because he refused to increase his salary and Moses replied no.
Blessing Iyamabe, a hairstylist of Moses, told the court that, in 2013, when she went to the deceased’s house to do 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,” the witness said.
“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 said on one occasion, she had to follow the deceased to her daughter’s school to make her hair because of fear of the defendant.
She also alleged that she had to make Osinachi’s daughter’s hair in a toilet at a mall because she needed to hide to avoid the defendant.
While cross-examining her, Aliyu asked the witness if she advised the deceased to ever leave the defendant, as stated in her statement to the police.
She responded that she gave her the advice because of the way the defendant was treating her.
When asked if she knew what led to Osinachi’s death, Iyamabe stated that she was told that she died as a result of throat cancer.
After listening to the testimony, Njideka Nwosu-Iheme, the judge, adjourned the matter until Thursday for the continuation of the trial.
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