I only slapped my wife before she was found dead, says Shonde

Lekan Shonde, husband of the deceased banker, Ronke Shonde, has told a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja that he did not kill his wife but only slapped her a day before her body was found. Shonde, a dockworker told the court in his ongoing trial before
Justice Josephine Oyefeso yesterday that his wife fell as a result of the slap and hit her head on the floor in the sitting room.

Ronke’s lifeless body was discovered in their apartment on May 6, 2016 and Shonde was charged for alleged murder. He was arraigned on October 24, 2017 by the Lagos State government. The prosecution alleged that Shonde committed the offence at 8:30p.m. on May 5, 2016 at his residence in Tiemo Street, Egbeda, Lagos.

However, Shonde in his defense led by his counsel, Chief Robert Clarke (SAN), said his wife whom he was referring to as “Adunni” was sleeping on the couch in the sitting room with her phone while he was leaving home on that day of the incident. He told the court that he heard his wife speaking to one Kayode on the phone a day to her death, telling him how sweet he made love to her.

“I was furious when I heard her conversation and I slapped her from behind, she fell as a result of the slap and hit her head on the floor in the sitting room. She later got up and held me, saying she was sorry.”

Earlier in his evidence, the defendant told the court that his wife called him on his way home to buy “moin moin and eko” (beans cake and cold pap) for their dinner, and he did as he was instructed.

“After I slapped her and she apologized, she went into the bathroom to have her bath and also changed her clothing, she then asked me what I will use to eat my ‘moin moin ‘ and I told her I wanted garri (cassava flakes) while she had hers with cold pap.

“Thereafter, I had my bath too and informed her that I was going to bed but she said she was going downstairs to play a bit. When I woke up in the midnight, I met her still sleeping on the couch, and I asked why she was still there, she said she will join me later and I went back to the room.

“On that fateful day, I met her still sleeping on the couch in the morning with her phone and I dropped transport money for her as I usually do, and left for work. We usually drop our phone at the security post at the dock because of the nature of our work, so I dropped my phone and when I later went to check by phone in the afternoon, the battery was already drained.”

Shonde further told the court that while he had quarrel with his wife the day before her death, their two children were already sleeping. He however told the court that he stands by the statement he made at the police station.

During cross examination by the state prosecutor, Mr. Y.G Osuala, when asked why he absconded for three days before going home after his wife’s death, he said his father called him and asked him to stay away because he might be hurt if he return on the said day. He, however, told the court that he turned himself in to the police on the third day of the incidence, and that he was never arrested.