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The Shondes
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The Lagos State Police
Command has launched a manhunt for Mr. Lekan Shonde, who allegedly killed his
banker-wife, Ronke, in Lagos on Thursday night.
The
Punch report continues:
Ronke
Shonde, a mother of two, was found dead in their apartment located on Tiemo
Close, Off Awori Street, in the Egbeda-Idimu area of Lagos State on Friday
morning.
The
husband was said to have fled with his wife’s mobile phones after the incident
occurred.
The
Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos Command, Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the
incident on Saturday, adding that the matter had been transferred to the
Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba.
She
said “marks of violence” were found on Ronke, suggesting that she was murdered
in cold blood.
The
police spokesperson further said the command had launched a manhunt for the
husband of the deceased.
Badmos
said, “Yes, I confirm the incident. It was reported on Friday at about 8am by
the landlady. She said at about 7am, she heard the screaming of Mrs. Ronke
Shonde’s children, who is one of her tenants, as they couldn’t find the key to
open their door from inside.
“When
the door was forced open from outside, the lifeless body of the victim was
found on the floor.
“Police
operatives visited the scene and the corpse was removed and deposited at the
Isolo General Hospital mortuary for autopsy.”
The
police spokesperson explained that the deceased’s husband was at large and
could not be reached on his telephone lines, which had been switched off.
“Effort
is on to get him. The command will certainly get to the root of the case. The
case has been transferred to the homicide section of the SDCI for discreet
investigation,” she added.
Some
residents of the street on which the couple lived, who spoke to SUNDAY
PUNCH when one of our correspondents visited the area on Saturday,
lamented that the deceased had been enduring an abusive marriage.
It
was gathered that Ronke was the second of three siblings to die within two years.
A
neighbour, who has a shop on the street, said Ronke died on Thursday night but
the neighbours did not know until Friday morning.
Speaking
on condition of anonymity, the neighbour said, “It is a very unfortunate
incident. The man had serially abused and assaulted his wife until the Thursday
attack led to her death.
“He
would tie her, beat her and take her mobile phones away. She should have left
him long ago.”
The
neighbour said the couple lived comfortably, as the wife worked with
Guaranty Trust Bank while her husband works at the Apapa depot of Mobil.
The
neighbour also said, “The husband is much older than the wife; the woman was in
her 30s while man should be in his 50s.”
The
neighbour further said, “Some people heard when she screamed on Thursday night
but nobody knew what happened to her until her nanny raised the alarm on Friday
morning.
“I
was one of those who packed her remains. She had injuries on her head, neck and
around her private parts. There were blood stains on the walls, which indicated
that she must have struggled with him until he overpowered her.
“She
was a light-skinned person but by the time we broke into their apartment, her
body was already becoming dark and swollen. A doctor who conducted some tests
on her said she must have been killed around 11pm on Thursday.”
According
to the neighbour, Ronke’s mother had three children, while her younger brother
died about a year ago. He lamented that her death might have been prevented if
her brother’s wife, who had been living with them, was home on Thursday night.
When
one of our correspondents sought to speak with the couple’s immediate
neighbours on Saturday, their residence, which had two buildings one of which
was said to be occupied by the landlady, was shut.
Another
resident in the area, who also declined to be named in print, said the police
had sealed up the couple’s flat, while other occupants of the building had shut
the gate to visitors ever since.
“The
flat was not just sealed. The police called a welder to weld the doors, which are
made of iron to protect the crime scene,” the source said.
The neighbour added that Ronke’s uncle came to take the children to their grandmother who is based in Kwara State.
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