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First picture : Inside the flat Ronke Shonde died + Neighbours speak on tragedy

On Thursday, May 5, 2016, Ronke Shonde was allegedly killed by her husband, Lekan Shonde, a depot worker in Apapa, Lagos. The tragic incident has since become a topical issue within and outside the state.
The couple lived in a three-bedroom, a front flat (upstairs) of a storey building on 3, Teimo Close, Off Awori Street, Egbeda, Lagos. The residence is about a kilometer away from Egbeda-Ikotun road, and not too far from Ile Epo Alhaji bus stop.

Shonde 1-Fullscreen capture 592016 112433 AM

On Wednesday, May 11, 2016, encomium.ng visited the residence with a view to having a chat with Shonde’s co-tenants on the pathetic incident. But at 11:45am we got there, the gate to the compound was locked.
And all efforts to speak to any of the residents proved abortive.

We later got the attention of some residents from the neighbouring houses, but they volunteered to speak to us under the condition of anonymity with the exception of two who only disclosed their first names.
One of them actually confirmed the incident, saying, “Yes, the incident happened here. It’s no longer a hidden thing, though vey pathetic. This is the house where the couple lived till the unfortunate occurrence of Thursday, May 5, 2016. It’s just incredible to all of us on this street that uncle Lekan could do that because he’s an easy going man. Nobody ever suspected such a thing could happen. It’s just unfortunate. I never knew him to be wife beater. But in an environment like this it’s usually difficult to know what the husband and his wife are going through unless they tell you or make their quarrel public.1-IMG-20160511-00913 (1)

“I even saw the woman and their two children that day. The woman also was a quiet person. I never knew she had left banking job not until this incident happened. I didn’t know I won’t see her again. She used to go out in the morning and return in the evening. Here, you can’t poke nose into other family’s affair. I even learnt people were not aware of the incident not until the following day. It’s just sad that the woman could be killed that way. But only God knows the truth about the matter.”

Another neighbour who identified herself as Rachael said, “It’s true a woman was found dead here (points at the house) and her name is Ronke Shonde, but I can’t tell you much about the woman and her husband because I am not close to them. The woman was pretty and quiet. I learnt she was a marketer with GTBank before she quit the job not long ago. Nobody was aware of her having any issue with her husband before her death. That’s why everybody was surprised when we heard of the incident.”

A neigbour who simply identified himself as Francis also confirmed the incident, “It’s true the incident happened, and police had come to visit the house for investigation. Nobody can actually say that Mr. Lekan beat his wife to death because none of us witnessed it. And I don’t think anybody heard any voice when both of them were fighting.

Ronke Shonde's corpse
Ronke Shonde’s corpse

“I think the incident should be thoroughly investigated. Everybody is just speculating. However, from what I learnt, Mr. Lekan doesn’t come home regularly maybe because of his work. But anytime he’s around, he comports himself as a gentleman. So, it will be very difficult to say he could commit the murder. But there’s nothing devil cannot do.”

One of the neighbours who also preferred anonymity, disclosed to us that Ronke, before her death, has been threatening to quit the marriage, not knowing death will soon cut her dream short.

“I think the woman might have been beaten to death by her husband. I learnt she was so troublesome, and that attitude started not long ago. I also learnt he started misbehaving when she met another man who had promised her a lot of things. I also learnt she had threatened to leave her husband and her two children for that man. So, maybe that’s what fueled their crisis which eventually led to her death on Thursday, May 5, 2016. I think Ronke’s family and the government should just be lenient with the man by not charging him to court. ”
-TadeAsifat for encomium.ng

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