Man sentenced to death by hanging for killing wife he accused of cheating on him

The verdict was reportedly given by Justice Josephine Oyefeso of the Lagos High Court in Ikeja.

Before the judgement was passed, 51-year-old Shonde had on May 5, 2016, beat the deceased a banker to death because he suspected her of cheating on him with a publisher.

“This is the sentence of the court upon you, that you should be hanged until you are dead. May the Lord have mercy upon you," Punch News confirmed a court verdict ordering capital punishment for the murderer.

His late wife Ronke was reportedly discovered dead at their residence in Egbeda by a house keeper who also found locked in the house their two children who were aged 6 and 4 respectively.

The impact of a court order asking their dad to be hanged could mean more stress for the youngsters. A defense counsel Mr I. B. Mohammed, noted this while appealing to Justice Oyefeso in a bid to get a lighter punishment for their father Shonde.

"My Lord, we want to plead with the court while administering justice, dispensing same in this case to see a reason to temper justice with mercy.

"The couple has two kids; I know, as a matter of fact that these two children have passed through the worst moment of their lives.

"I know if these two children had any control in this proceeding, it would be that their father should not be prosecuted at all, but since they could not have that, their wish is that their father should be sentenced on a very liberal term.

"The defendant has no criminal record; he has developed a series of failing health conditions since his detention. This defendant hardly sees very well again, he sees faintly. My Lord, he is hypertensive."

According to Punch News, the judge while ruling on the case highlighted that Lekan Shonde, who worked at a warehouse in Apapa, Lagos, was not honest in his account of how his wife died.

His argument that he only slapped his wife when he heard her having a telephone conversation with a presumed lover failed to hold in court because of convincing evidence suggesting otherwise.

The aftermath of a pathology report had revealed fresh and old injuries on the deceased suggesting that her death happened due to a much aggressive response.

After Lekan Shonde surrendered to the police based on persuasion from his friends,his wife's family claimed that the deceased had suffered violent attacks from him.