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The trial of Peter Nwachukwu, husband to the late gospel singer, Osinachi Nwachukwu, continued on Tuesday before Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, with the testimony of the sixth prosecution witness (PW6) Adetunji Moses.
The 40-year-old Adetunji Moses, who is a music producer and was Osinachi’s keyboardist and personal assistant as well as the lead keyboardist at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre, narrated to the court how Peter Nwachukwu resisted any relationship between the late Osinachi and her twin sister.
Moses, who fondly calls Osinachi “Mama,” said Peter Nwachukwu allegedly told him that he wants to break the soul tie between the late Osinachi and her twin sister Amarachi.
Led in evidence by Prosecution counsel Yewande Gbola-Awopetu, Moses narrated to the court, that, “Mrs Osinachi was a worship leader in our church in Dunamis, she’s characterized by her humble spirit. After I agreed to work with her, we began to go in and out for ministrations, internationally and locally. And our relationship was a bit cordial because I was her keyboardist and personal assistant as commanded by her husband. That is how we began our relationship as I was the team leader and keyboardist.
“After I agreed to work with Osinachi, we began to go for programs to sing and worship God in different places by the instruction of Mr Peter Nwachukwu, I am to play the keyboard, monitor our movements from the house to the airport and to wherever we are to travel too.
“We travelled in 2018 for a program at House on the Rock Enugu, when we arrived the people that invited us gave the instruction that Mr Peter said no visitors must come to mama’s hotel, and that he does not want disturbance in the hotel. In the process, I got to know that the family of the late Mrs Osinachi resides in Enugu.
“So the invitation that nobody should visit the hotel was to disallow her from meeting and conversing with her family. I did all I could to ensure that nobody visited mama in the hotel. When we got back to Abuja, he then told me the reason why he does not want any visitor to visit mama Osinachi earlier.
“In his words I quote, ‘There is a soul tie between Osinachi and Amarachi the twin sister and I want to disconnect it.’ He does not want the two of them to Minister together as twin sisters. Thereby depriving both of them of the privilege of relationship.”
Narrates further incidences
Continuing in his testimony, Moses further gave some alleged ill-treatment instances he witnessed to the court. He said, “In other instances, we were to travel from Nigeria to Zimbabwe for a program, and the mother-in-law was in their house during the time we were to travel.
“There was a misunderstanding that early morning between Mr Peter the mother-in-law and Osinachi, which resulted in us missing the flight that was to take us to Zimbabwe. Mr Peter tried all he could to put us on the next flight to Zimbabwe but proved abortive.
“While leaving the airport after missing the flight, it was a serious battle in the car, Mr Peter said words like ‘see now you have missed the flight because of the misunderstanding in the early hours of the day.’ Telling Mrs Osinachi that your family members are around to hinder our progress as a family, and to shut the door of ministry and the blessing of the family.
“On another occasion my lord, before the lockdown, in 2019 December, Mrs Osinachi was invited for Unusual Praise in Lagos with her twin sister Amarachi to minister to the people as a pair on stage. Mr Peter instructed me as the team leader and the Unusual Praise Crew not to allow both Osinachi and Amarachi to sing together on the stage. He said I should not allow them to be lodged in the same hotel nor should I allow them to sing together on the stage. Which eventually happened on that day.
“When we returned back to Abuja he got angry at me and told me why would I allow such to happen, I told him I am the one playing the keyboard and I don’t have the capacity to stop Amarachi from singing with her sister on stage.
“On another occasion my lord, we were travelling to Owerri for a program, when we arrived at Owerri, Mrs Osinachi was very weak, I asked her what was the matter, she now complained of ulcer pain. I then told her to give me some money to buy “Gestid,” for you, but she said she has no money with her. I said mama we just returned from Lagos for a program and you were well paid, how come you said you don’t have money? She said in her words, ‘that the blessings and honorarium in cash are all paid to Mr Peter Nwachukwu’s account.’
“I said no, she then brought her ATM out and we both checked the balance there was no money in the account truly. I used my money to buy “Gestid,” for mama that night before we later went for ministration.
“After the lockdown, i and the crew members met Mr Peter and mama Osinachi in the house for an increase in our pay based on the fact we agreed that Mr Peter was going to pay crew members per program according to the blessing of God to the ministry. Mr Peter got angry immediately and said that he is not going to increase our pay because it’s lockdown and there are not many invites for programs. Some of the crew members left because of the way he replied to us that day. Alex the bassist left, while I remained.
“Mama persuaded me and the other crew member to please stay with her and that we should not leave her alone and the ministry. Each time in rehearsals, mama came late for rehearsals, Mr Peter uses words like ‘useless woman, lazy and indolent,’ on her. He often stops the rehearsals and asks us to go to our houses and reschedule it for another day. He also gets angry at me for no reason because mama will always say she cannot go for a program alone without a keyboardist which is me.
“In another occasion at the Glory Dome in Abuja, after a Wednesday service, Mrs Osinachi called me that her husband just left her in church with no money for her to find her way to the house alone. I called him immediately and asked him why he would do such, he hung up on me. When I met him in church the following day, I told him sir what you did yesterday was bad. He gave some excuses that she delayed and he had to drive home so that the children could eat.
“Mama Osinachi always complained of pain and the crew members surround her and pray for her. We came to her house on a Friday night for vigil, we prayed in the house from around 11pm till about 3am and Mr Peter refused to come out saying that we didn’t notify him that we are coming for the prayer session.
“Mrs Osinachi said after we left that morning, there was a problem in the house which resulted in the crew members cancelling any all-night prayer.”
Delayed Osinachi’s album release
Moses further told the court of how Peter Nwachukwu allegedly delayed Osinachi’s album release, that he (Peter Nwachukwu), said Osinachi was not physically and spiritually ready.
He said, “On another occasion on our journey to Lagos for a program in Ikorudu, I asked mama Osinachi about her album release, which she told me about. The album was to be recorded in Frank Edward’s studio in Lagos.
“She called Frank Edwards in my presence, he said he was waiting for them to come for the production of the tracks in the album. She then said that her husband Mr Peter disallowed her from going to his studio for the production of the music, which would have advanced the ministry.
“I met Mr Peter Nwachukwu and asked him about the album release, he said mama is not ready spiritually and physically, that was his words, that when she is ready he will use his spiritual eye to know and then she can proceed for production.”
Concluding his testimony, he said, “My lord, I am Osinachi’s personal assistant and keyboardist, anybody who used to bring her joy and peace in her life and ministry will be sent away by Mr Peter, example is Bella Kobe, a singer in the Osinachi crew, Alex Samuel and finally myself.
“I was always defending mama Osinachi at rehearsals against some abusive words from her husband and Mr Peter saw it as a threat to him. He feels insecure around her thereby making life unbearable for her.
“I left the crew in 2021 March when I could no longer cope with Mr Peter Nwachukwu’s troubles, and I resumed my studio for my production until I heard of Osinachi’s death.”
Under cross-examination by I.A Aliyu, counsel to Peter Nwachukwu, Moses admitted that he was not on the payroll and did not understand Igbo.
He said, “I was not employed I was not on the payroll. I worked for them from September 2018 to March 2021. There was no particular amount I agreed to be paid, he said he will always pay according to the blessing of God to their ministry, he did not follow all that he said and I don’t understand Igbo.”
After the witness was discharged from the witness box, the prosecution thereafter called in the seventh prosecution witness, simply identified as Blessing Iyamabor, who was a hairdresser to the late Osinachi.
She narrated her ordeal before the court, telling the court how she witnessed Peter Nwachukwu allegedly slap Osinachi for not getting the ‘car key.’
She said, “Osinachi came to my shop and asked if I do home service, I said yes, so she collected my phone number so that when she needs me she will call me. After 3 days she called me and said I should come to make her hair for her. She directed me to her house.
“She came and I started plaiting the hair, in the process the husband called her to bring the car keys, Osinachi said the car keys were on the table, and Peter Nwachukwu started shouting for her to bring the car key. Then he came and slapped her, and immediately he slapped her, I removed my hand from her hair then she ran inside crying looking for the car key.
“He looked at me and asked what I was still doing there and that I should get out of their house. After I went out, she later came to the shop to complete the hair. She said next time that I should come to the house and I told her that I cannot come because of the way her husband treated her, she then said that if she is chanced she will be coming to the shop. Since that day, she didn’t come again.”
After the witness was discharged from the witness box, Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme fixed Thursday, October 13 for the continuation of the trial.
