The Nigerian sports community has been thrown into mourning following the tragic killing of a Nigerian athlete and graduate student, Oluwabukola Pereira, in the United States just days before her MBA graduation.
Pereira, 30, was shot dead on Friday, May 8, during a robbery incident at Arise Auto Center in Lockland, Ohio, where she worked.
According to a worker at the auto shop, Don Simpson, Pereira reportedly attempted to chase a suspect who fled with about $1,500 before she was fatally shot.
“She was loyal, good and brave,” Simpson told local television station Marcella Porter TV. “She came to this country trying to build a good life.”
Originally from Nigeria, Pereira was scheduled to graduate from Xavier University on May 16 with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. The university also revealed that she had secured admission for another postgraduate programme in Business Analytics later this year.
In a statement, the university’s 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 added.
Beyond academics, Pereira was an active athlete and member of Cincinnati’s Elite running group, participating in several races, including the Flying Pig Marathon.
Her family described her as “a bright and shining star” who dedicated her life to worship, prayer and helping others.
Pereira, the first of four children, was also preparing for her wedding later this year after getting engaged in 2025.
Authorities said investigations into the killing are ongoing and appealed to members of the public to provide useful information through Crime Stoppers.
According to the sheriff’s office, the suspect is believed to be a man aged between 25 and 35 years, described as Black or Hispanic, with long braids or dreadlocks. He was last seen fleeing toward the Gardner Park area.
The tragic incident has sparked grief among Nigerians at home and abroad, especially within the athletics community, as many continue to mourn a promising young woman whose life was cut short days before achieving a major academic milestone.
