The Nigerian sporting community is mourning the death of Oluwabukola Pereira, a 30-year-old athlete and graduate student who was shot dead in the United States days before her MBA graduation.
Pereira was reportedly killed on Friday, May 8, during an alleged robbery at Arise Auto Centre in Lockland, Ohio, where she worked.
According to reports, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office has opened an investigation into the incident, although authorities have not officially confirmed the motive behind the shooting.
A worker at the auto shop, Don Simpson, told local television station Marcella Porter TV that Pereira tried to chase a suspect who allegedly escaped with about $1,500 before she was fatally shot.
“She was loyal, good and brave,” Simpson said.
“She came to this country trying to build a good life.”
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Pereira, who was originally from Nigeria, was scheduled to graduate from Xavier University on Saturday, May 16, with a Master of Business Administration degree.
The university also disclosed that she had secured admission for another postgraduate programme in Business Analytics later this year.
In a statement, Xavier University president, Colleen Hanycz, described Pereira as a woman known for her “positivity, deep faith and generous spirit.”
“Friends describe her as kind, honest, intelligent and beautiful inside and out,” the statement read.
Outside academics, Pereira was active in athletics and was a member of Cincinnati’s Elite running group. She also competed in several races, including the Flying Pig Marathon.
Her family described her as “a bright and shining star” who devoted her life to worship, prayer and supporting others.
