“This unfortunate incident underscores LASTMA’s resolute commitment to preserving lives and ensuring safety on Lagos roads through proactive interventions and collaborative engagements with emergency response agencies,” he said.
Mr. Peter Nwachukwu, the husband of late popular gospel singer, Osinachi, was arraigned before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on a 23-count charge that bordered on culpable homicide today.
However, the defendant, whose wife allegedly died as a result of prolonged assault by him, pleaded not guilty to all the allegations that were contained in the charge the Federal Government preferred against him.
Following Nwachukwu’s plea of innocence, Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme, in a short ruling, ordered his remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre, even as she adjourned the case till June 16 and 17 for trial.
The court equally okayed accelerated hearing of the case.
“The Defendant should be remanded in Kuje Correctional Facility, pending the hearing and determination of this suit,” the trial judge ruled.
Recall that Osinachi’s sudden death on April 8 after some time on life support led to family, friends and church members making revelations about the domestic abuse she had been allegedly subjected to by her husband.
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A nationwide outcry for justice for the late songbird led to her husband’s arrest.
Osinachi is the delectably angelic voice behind many popular gospel songs, one of which is ‘Ekwueme’ Prospa Ochimana.
Federal Government had, in the charge that was filed by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, among other things, alleged that the late singer, Osinachi, was forcefully ejected from her matrimonial home by her husband, contrary to the Violence Against Persons, VAP (Prohibition) Act, 2015.
It alleged that the defendant, Nwachukwu, had at a time, forcefully pushed his late wife out of a moving vehicle.
The defendant was specifically charged for alleged committing culpable homicide under sections 104 and 379 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, an offence contrary to section 221 of the Penal Code and punishable with death.
The charge marked CR/199/2022, was entered before the court by the Head, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Ministry of Justice, Mrs Yewande Gbola-Awopetun.
Government alleged that the defendant deprived the deceased of her personal liberty by restraining her movement and locking her up in the house.
More so, it accused the defendant of subjecting the deceased to emotional, verbal and psychological abuse, contrary to section 14(1) of the VAP Act, 2015.
FG told the court that investigations revealed that the defendant denied Osinachi access to her money for medication and household necessities, and thereby forced her into begging and borrowing.
It alleged that Osinachi’s husband forcefully isolated and separated her from her family by preventing her mother and siblings from visiting her matrimonial home.
Nwachukwu was further charged for cruelly beating his children, recording their cry and playing it on his phone.
He was said to have threatened the kids and prevented them from reporting the acts of domestic violence against their mother to the head pastor of their church, Dr Paul Enenche, or any other person.
Specifically, some of the counts in the charge read: “That you Peter Nwachukwu, 56, male, on the 8th of April, 2022 at Aco Estate, opposite police station, Lugbe, Abuja, FCT, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did commit an offence to with:
“Culpable homicide punishable with death in that you caused the death of Mrs Osinachi Nwachukwu by your various acts of violence and aggravated assault with the knowledge that her death would be the probable consequence of your acts.”
“That you, Peter Nwachukwu, male, sometime between 14th November 2009 and April 2022 at Aco Estate, opposite police station, Lugbe, Abuja, FCT, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did commit an offence to wit:
“Emotional, verbal and psychological abuse on Mrs Osinachi Nwachukwu (deceased) by humiliating her and making utterances like ‘you are smelling,’ ‘you are mad,’ to her in the presence of her music crew members.”
VANGUARD
Alleged money laundering: Court temporarily freezes 21 bank accounts, orders holders’ arrest
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered the temporary freezing of 21 bank accounts domiciled in some commercial banks and directed the arrest of the account holders by the police.
Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order after counsel for the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, Ibrahim Mohammed, moved a motion ex-parte to the effect.
Justice Nwite also granted the “order directing the banks to issue details of the account package(s) and to place a Post-No-Debit (PND) on the accounts, disable the ATMs while allowing inflow into the said accounts” pending the conclusion of the investigation.
“I have listened to the submission of the learner counsel for the applicant and gone through the affidavit evidence.
“I am of the view that the motion ex-parte is meritorious.
“The application is hereby granted except that the period of the investigation can only last for a period of 90 days,” Justice Nwite said.
The judge adjourned the matter until April 3 for mention.
The banks are Access Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Ltd, Wema Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Union Bank Plc, Guarantee Trust Bank Ltd, United Bank of Africa Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, First Monument Bank Plc, Heritage Bank Plc, TAJ Bank Plc and Keystone Bank Plc.
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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while the I-G is the applicant in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1965/V/2024, the 13 banks are sued as 1st to 13 defendants respectively.
The I-G, in the motion filed by Mohammed, sought an interim order directing the listed “banks to freeze the accounts mentioned in the schedule attached to this summon pending investigation and prosecution of this case.
“An order directing the banks to issue details of the account package(s) and to place a Post-No-Debit (PND) on the accounts, disable the ATM while allowing inflow into the said account as from the date of this court order.
Youths beat Osun monarch for appointing Imam on disputed community
The crisis erupted in the Hallelujah community in Egbedore local government area of Osun State on Friday, as enraged residents beat the newly installed Ajeniju of Hallelujah, Oba Jelili Olaiya while attempting to conduct jumat service in the area.
The Ajeniju, who was installed by the Timi of Ede a few months ago, against the will of the Ido-Osun community, was beaten to a pulp by angry youths, saying he had no right to install a chief Imam in the community.
It was gathered that the monarch had last week turbaned one Ahmad Tijjani as Chief Imam of the Hallelujah community, but while gathering some people at his palace to observe jumat prayer, some youth allegedly from Ido-Osun invaded the palace and disrupted the exercise.
Some of the aggrieved youths while shouting at the monarch queried his authority to install and conduct jumat prayer in a domain belonging to a separate monarch.
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The mob beat the monarch seriously and vandalised the palace before security operatives could intervene in the situation.
A security source who pleaded anonymity disclosed that it took the intervention of security operatives to rescue the monarch from the scene.
“The situation escalated, resulting in the vandalization of the palace and a physical attack on Ajenifuja of Hallelujah, who sustained serious injuries. He has since been taken to the State CID for further investigation and safety”, said the source.
However, another source in the community disclosed that the monarch has been taken to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo for treatment.
Confirming the incident, the Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Security, Hon. Samuel Ojo said he will not comment on the incident pending the outcome of an investigation on the matter.
Lagos commuter bus summersaults, LASTMA rescues 8 injured passengers
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has rescued eight injured passengers involved in an accident at Hammadiya inward Abule-Egba.
The LASTMA General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, confirmed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
The statement was signed by Mr Taofiq Adebayo, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA.
Bakare-Oki said the road traffic incident which involved a commercial long bus, popularly referred to as ‘Molue,’ at Hammadiya inward Abule-Egba, caused severe injuries and significant disruption to traffic.
“The accident was triggered when the vehicle, registered as KTU 801 XM, lost control at excessive speed, reportedly due to driver impatience.
“In an attempt to avoid colliding with another LT commercial bus and pedestrians awaiting transport at the roadside, the driver veered sharply, resulting in the bus crashing into the expressway median and overturning.
“Several passengers sustained injuries, while others escaped through the bus’s windows,” he said.
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He said that officers from LASTMA promptly arrived at the scene, executed a well-coordinated and efficient rescue operation.
“Eight individuals, including five males and three females, suffered varying degrees of injuries. Among the injured was the bus driver, who sustained a fractured left arm.
“All victims were immediately handed over to LASAMBUS medical personnel and transported to the General Hospital at Ile-Epo for urgent medical attention,” he said.
Bakare-Oki said to ensure the free flow of traffic and public safety, LASTMA’s Response Unit was swiftly mobilised to oversee the removal of the overturned vehicle.
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