Say her name
Late gospel singer Osinachi has finally gotten justice
Good morning, Big Brains. For some weird reason, Osinachi came to my mind last week. As someone who has been blessed by her music, I still ask myself if there’s any way she could have been saved. I haven’t been able to play or sing her songs since she passed away. I can only imagine how difficult this must be for her loved ones. Please send them your prayers and love from wherever you are today.
- Margaret
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Let’s get into today’s edition:
Late gospel singer Osinachi has finally gotten justice
The World Bank doesn’t see Nigeria’s poverty rate dropping soon
Late gospel singer Osinachi has finally gotten justice
Nigeria has a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) problem, and the tragic story of women like Osinachi Nwachukwu proves just how bad it is.
On April 8, 2022, Osinachi died from blood clots in her chest, which were reportedly caused by kicks from her husband, Peter Nwachukwu.
According to Osinachi’s sister, Favour Made, the gospel singer “hid all she was going through,” even from the doctor who might have diagnosed and treated her.
It took three years, but Osinachi finally got justice. On Monday, April 28, Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme of the Federal High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja sentenced Peter Nwachukwu to death by hanging.
The judge ruled that the evidence presented in court clearly proved that he was responsible for his wife’s death.
During the trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses to testify, including two of Osinachi’s children. Peter also tried to defend himself by speaking in court and presenting four witnesses and four documents. But the judge wasn’t buying it.
Why is this a big deal?
One out of every three women in Nigeria has faced GBV since the age of 15. In many cases, the abusers are not strangers — they are intimate partners, just like Peter Nwachukwu was to Osinachi.
We hate to paint a scary picture, but the data gets worse the deeper you look. About 35% of married women in Nigeria have suffered violence from their husbands. Data from the DOHS Femicide Dashboard shows there were 135 reported cases of femicide in 2024, and just four months into 2025, we’ve had at least 19 reported cases of femicide already.
There are too many women like Osinachi, but because of how normalised femicide is in our society, most of these women don’t even get justice. Osinachi is one of the few victims of femicide in Nigeria who has gotten justice. There are still women like Augusta Osedion, Christiana Idowu, Bamise Ayanwola, Salome Adaidu, and several others who are still awaiting justice.
But Justice Nwosu-Iheme’s final judgment gives us a glimmer of hope for how the country will handle femicide and domestic violence cases moving forward. It also sends a strong message to those who commit these crimes that there will be consequences for their actions.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please reach out for support. You can find some helplines here.
The World Bank doesn’t see Nigeria’s poverty rate dropping soon
As ironic as it is for a country with a “master strategist” like President Tinubu, the World Bank has made it clear that Nigeria isn’t making it out of the ghetto anytime soon.
In its Africa Pulse report, released on Friday, April 25, the World Bank explained that the government’s efforts to ease citizens' burdens may not be enough to lift millions out of poverty.
Nigeria currently accounts for 19% of the poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, but it could get so much worse. We preach optimism, and doctors recommend it, but if you ever want to doubt this prediction, always remember that the number of poor Nigerians has jumped from 104 million to 129 million in just one year.
We don’t necessarily need to spell this out, but President Tinubu’s economic reforms, including the controversial petrol subsidy removal, are why we’re stuck in this mess.
The situation is so bad that the World Bank is predicting that poverty levels in Nigeria might continue to rise over the next two years, even if there is economic growth.
In simple words, we are not making it out of the trenches anytime soon. In the meantime, please dust your Permanent Voters Card (PVC) because we have some serious decisions to make in 2027.
Your next big read
→Step-by-step Guide to Seeking Justice Against Gender-based Violence: Every now and again in Nigeria, reports of different forms of GBV, like rape, domestic abuse, femicide, and many more, make the news, and each time, we ask what can be done to stop this— the answer to that question is not a straight one, as deep fundamental societal issues and norms cause GBV but there is a major solution that can be used to reduce the prevalence of GBV— the law.
→What She Said: I’m Never Going Back: We talked to a woman and her mother on how growing up with a violent father and husband shaped the people they are today.
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