Crime & Court
How Osinachi’s husband threatened to kill late gospel singer – Victim’s mother reveals
The mother of Osinachi Nwachukwu has narrated before the FCT High Court in Abuja how the late gospel singer’s husband threatened to kill the late victim.
Appearing before Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme on Monday, 61-year-old Caroline Madu, informed that the accused, Peter Nwachukwu, threatened to kill Osinachi if she (the mother) tried visiting her.
Madu said the late Osinachi (42 ) was last seen in December during a church programme before her death on April 8.
When the singer was sick, the mother claimed to have told Osinachi that she needed treatment. She, however, said she would have to plead with her husband, adding that if she visited her, her husband would kill her.
Madu, who was in tears, accused Peter of coming to steal her child. The singer’s mother said Peter told the family that he was an evangelist. On the contrary, he would beat her child like a carpenter working on a piece of wood.
During Osinachi’s pregnancy, the mother said her husband will beat her and when she asked her to come and see him, the singer’s husband refused.
She added that Peter bragged that if she did not go alive, she will go in death.
Madam Madu stated that the situation forced her to send her senior daughter – Favour Madu – to go bring Osinachi home. The move was successful as Osinachi stayed a year and three months before Peter sent some pastors to plead with her family to take her back.
According to her, Osinachi agreed, telling her family, “What God has joined together, no man should put asunder.”
The late singer was said to have returned to her husband who then resumed the beatings.
When she asked Osinachi for monetary assistance, Madu claimed the late singer could not give her as the money was deposited in Peter’s account.
She further told the court that there was a time she was ill, and people had to plead with Peter to allow her to come over to Abuja for treatment. She recalled going to church with them one day and after the service, Peter drove off with the kids leaving Osinachi and her stranded.
She added that Osinachi never visited her in Enugu and Peter never allowed her to even pick up her call.
On Osinachi’s health status, Madu maintained her daughter only told her that she had an ulcer whereas the husband had claimed she died of lung cancer.
Upon hearing about her daughter’s death via radio and television on April 8, the grieving mother said people started coming to her house crying.
In the evening around 7 pm, she said Peter used Osinachi’s number and called her and she asked him how they were, stating that Osinachi was dead
Responding, Madu told the court that she shouted in tears telling him (Peter) that the promise he made that if she didn’t leave alive, she will in death, has finally come to pass. She recalled how she then cut the call and switched off the phone.
Under cross-examination, Madu said she never knew if Osinachi suffered from another ailment.
Two Nigerian nationals, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, are facing a combined 40-year prison sentence for their roles in a romance scam that defrauded a victim of $560,000.
The pair were convicted in a U.S. federal court following a four-day trial and less than three hours of jury deliberation.
A statement by U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez and FBI Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda revealed that the scheme, which began in January 2016, involved a fictitious persona, “Glenn Brown,” created on the dating site eHarmony.com.
The duo, along with an accomplice, used this fake profile to manipulate a victim in Albuquerque, New Mexico, into sending large sums of money under the pretense of aiding a construction project in Malaysia.
Between January 2016 and April 2017, the victim transferred $560,000 to accounts in the U.S., Canada, and Malaysia. Evidence presented in court highlighted specific transactions, including a $28,000 wire transfer to an account linked to Daramola.
Daramola then funneled the money to other parties, including a seafood importer in Denmark.
Daramola denied involvement, but FBI investigations revealed incriminating text and WhatsApp messages on his phone, showing he provided bank accounts for multiple fraud schemes.
Ogunlaja, on the other hand, used his Bank of America account to receive fraudulent funds, including $40,000 deposited by the victim in March 2016. Ogunlaja subsequently withdrew and transferred funds to Daramola’s account.
Despite their denials, the weight of evidence led to the duo’s conviction. Both defendants remain on conditional release awaiting sentencing, where each faces up to 20 years in prison without parole. Sentencing dates have not yet been scheduled.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dismissed 27 officers from its workforce over allegations of fraudulent activities and misconduct.
In a statement issued on Monday, the EFCC’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, disclosed that the dismissal followed the recommendations of the Staff Disciplinary Committee and subsequent ratification by the Commission’s Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
Oyewale stated that the identities of the dismissed officers would not be disclosed, but the Commission remains committed to maintaining accountability and integrity within its ranks.
“Every modicum of allegation against any staff of the Commission would always be investigated, including a trending $400,000 claim of a yet-to-be-identified supposed staff of the EFCC against a Sectional Head,” the statement read.
“The core values of the Commission are sacrosanct and would always be held in optimal regard at all times.”
The Commission also warned the public about the activities of impersonators and blackmailers exploiting its name for extortion.
According to the statement, two alleged fraudsters, Ojobo Joshua and Aliyu Hashim, were recently arraigned before Justice Jude Onwuebuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.
They allegedly demanded $1 million from a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mohammed Bello-Koko, under the pretense of offering a “soft landing” from a non-existent investigation.
“Olukoyede remains a man of integrity that cannot be swayed by monetary influences. The public is enjoined to always report such disreputable elements to the Commission,” the EFCC emphasized.
The agency reassured Nigerians of its commitment to the fight against corruption, promising to uphold transparency and discipline within its operations.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 61-year-old Lagos socialite, Alhaja Aishat Feyisara Ajoke Elediye, popularly known as “Iya Ruka” in the drug underworld, following the interception of a truckload of illicit drugs allegedly linked to her.
The arrest took place on January 1, 2025, at her mansion located at 33 Adebayo Oyewole Street, off Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos.
According to a statement signed by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Alhaja Ajoke’s true identity had been shrouded in mystery for years, despite her alleged role as a key figure in a drug cartel operating from Mushin, Lagos.
The operation began when NDLEA operatives, acting on intelligence, intercepted a white Isuzu truck carrying 44 jumbo sacks containing 1,540 kilograms of imported cannabis. The truck was reportedly driven by one of her staff members, 41-year-old Abideen Adio.
Following the interception, the operatives stormed her residence and arrested her.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers for the success of the operation.
He praised their efforts in reducing both drug supply and demand across the country, emphasizing that such operational successes were crucial to the agency’s mission.
“The balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction by our operatives continues to yield commendable results,” Marwa stated.
Alhaja Ajoke, who is well-known in social circles, has been on the NDLEA’s wanted list for years for her alleged leadership role in the drug trade. Her arrest marks a significant breakthrough in the agency’s fight against drug trafficking in Lagos and beyond.
Investigations are ongoing, and the NDLEA has vowed to ensure that justice is served.
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