A fleeing oil worker, Lekan Shonde, who allegedly beat his wife to death at their home in Tiemo Close, Off Awori Street, in the Egbeda-Idimu area of Lagos State has spoken up from his hideout on the real reason behind his action.
Shonde who works in a Mobil depot in Apapa, explained to Punch over the phone provided by his in-law, Bolatito that his wife, Ronke provoked him by describing vividly how her lover slept with her in a hotel in Abuja.
The eight-year union which was laden with domestic violence, however, came to an abrupt end on Thursday, May 5, 2016 after Shonde beat Ronke to death during one of his outbursts.
Mr. Shonde who hails from Abeaokuta, Ogun State, claimed that troubles started after his wife allegedly started dating the general manager of a publishing company.
He regretted ever going against the advice of his late mother by insisting on marrying Ronke with whom he had two children aged 6 and 4 respectively.
It was learnt that after committing the act, Shonde locked his children inside the house with their mother’s lifeless remains and disappeared into thin air.
Defending himself, Shonde said he had no reason to kill his wife who he bought two cars for and always gave money despite her alleged misdeeds.
He said, “Since I married my wife eight years ago, she has never bought anything into the house. I gave her N5,000 on Saturdays and N3,000 on Tuesdays for soup. I also gave her money to make her hair.
“She was working with GTB as a marketer, but she got sacked three years ago. For that period, I was the one feeding her and taking responsibility for everything in the family. I would wash her pants, bathe the children and buy foodstuffs in the house. She later got a job with a publishing company owned by her uncle.
“But my wife changed sometime in March, when she started dating the general manager of the publishing company. My wife was going to the office from Monday to Sunday and she wasn’t going to church again, all because of this man. She called him ‘eyitemi’ (My own).
“Last week Friday, she went to Abuja and came back on Monday. She never told me that the lover was there with her. I learnt later that the lover was there and they slept together in the same room for four days.
“When she came back, she didn’t know I was inside the house. She started talking with the man on the phone that he really had fun with him and I didn’t know how to make love. She again said her private parts were paining her.”
According to Shonde, his wife reportedly confirmed his escapade with the manager to him and this infuriated him.
Shonde further revealed that the incident that led to her death was a money-related issue, adding that he was further infuriated by his wife’s refusal to have sex with him for over three months.
He said, “It was around 9pm on Thursday. We had paid our nanny N20,000. Then we needed to pay our children’s teachers N30,000. I discovered she had taken N20,000 and when I asked her to return my money, she said she had spent it.
“I was angry because for the past three months, she didn’t allow me to have sex with her. I pushed her hand away from me on the staircase and I left her. She never tumbled or fell. In fact that night, I bought the food that we both ate because she said she didn’t want to cook.
“I didn’t know anything had happened to her until Friday when I saw her on the staircase. I thought she was still pretending. I just left her and walked away.”
The man further refuted reports that he locked his children inside the house with their mum’s dead body, adding that it was his son that locked the gate.
He said, “Jide, her family’s second child lived with me for three to four years. Their eldest daughter, Bolatito, has lived with me too.
“Although I am not a saint, I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. I am a responsible man. The problem with my wife was that she was temperamental. She shouted at me whenever she talked.
“I am a Lagos boy and I can be in this Lagos for the next 30 years and nobody would see me.”
Meanwhile, Ronke’s sibling, Bolatito, said their mother had just arrived Lagos State from Ilorin, Kwara State, and they were not yet in the right frame of mind to talk about the incident.
Bolatito said, “My mother just arrived from Ilorin and the family wants to devote time to attend to her; we don’t want to talk about the incident. I am not in the right frame of mind to talk.
“But all I want to say is that her husband is somewhere out there and has been calling. The police should reach out to the telecommunications company to know where he is. He called me and he said he wanted to see me.
“He also said he wanted to see his children and I should tell him where they are because we might never see him again.”
Meanwhile, the aunt of the victim, Bunmi, revealed that the fleeing man had been threatening suicide.
She said, “Mummy is very sad with this, but she has forgiven him and does not want him to commit suicide.”
Corroborating the report was a member of the family who disclosed that the marriage has been marred with domestic violence for some time with the husband always accusing his late wife of cheating.
Th family member who preferred anonymity said: “He always beat her because of his belief that she was into an extra-marital affair.
“The beating reduced a bit when the wife of her late brother who was one month pregnant before his death, moved into the house with them. She stayed for about eight months. She was like her saviour.”
The convener of the Women Arise for Change Initiative, Mrs. Joe Odumakin, while condoling with the family, said the group would pursue the case till the end.
She said, “I am shattered and heart-broken. Their mother had been a widow since they were all little and she has lost two of three children in less than one year. And it is hard to believe that the killer husband has been chatting with people, asking to see his children and blatantly lying that he only slapped her.
“Neighbours must learn to intervene when they hear unusual noise. And women, who are in abusive relationships, must speak out before it is too late. Lekan should come out and submit himself so he could be tried in a court, where he will have the chance to prove his innocence.”
Lagos State police have since launched a manhunt to apprehend the fleeing suspect while the corpse of the deceased woman had been deposited at a morgue.
The state Police Public relations Officer, Dolapo Badmus said: “We are still on the lookout for him. Effort is ongoing to get him. Meanwhile the case has been transferred to the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.”
