Two years after allegedly beating his wife, Ronke, to death, an Ikeja High Court has fixed July 3 for the commencement of the murder trial of Lekan Shonde.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Josephine Oyefeso fixed the date for the prosecution to open its case after the matter came up for mention on Thursday.
Shonde, a 51-year-old dockworker, had previously been docked at the High Court on October 24, 2017, for murder, and had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecution led by Mrs Kofoworola Tunji-Carrena had alleged that Shonde committed the offence at 8.30 pm on May 5, 2016, at his 3, Tiemo Close, Egbeda, Lagos, residence.
According to court documents, Shonde was involved in an altercation with his wife, which led to her death.
After her death, Shonde allegedly locked up the home and fled, leaving her corpse in the living room.
The alleged crime scene was discovered by neighbours, who heard the cries of their two young children, struggling to “wake up” the lifeless body of their mother.
The suspect was said to have surrendered to the authorities five days later, after an extensive manhunt.
