Nigerian University Student Dies in US Apartment

A University of Lagos alumna, Oreoluwa Odetunde, was found dead at her off-campus residence on Thursday.

Punch Metro learnt on Sunday that Odetunde was in her first year of a Master of Business Administration programme at the S.C. Johnson College of Business in New York.

According to a report by The Cornell Daily Sun on February 6, she was an international student who earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Lagos in 2017.

While at Cornell, the report said Odetunde was active in several student organisations, including the Johnson African Business Society, the Black Graduate Business Association and the Old Ezra Finance Club.

According to the report, the deceased was also recognised as a Forté Fellow and Sage Scholar and had participated in research and strategy analysis for firms such as Anchoria Asset Management and Greenwich Merchant Bank.

“We are devastated for Oreoluwa’s family, friends, classmates and instructors and extend our deepest condolences in this difficult time,” the Cornell Johnson Graduate School said in a LinkedIn post.

Odetunde’s death adds to the growing list of Nigerians who have died abroad in recent times.

In the United Kingdom, Nigerian footballer Saburi Adeniji was pronounced dead on February 6 after battling a severe brain stem injury.

Similarly, another Nigerian student in the UK, Douglas Izevbigie, died on January 21 at a hospital following a battle with aggressive leukaemia. (The PUNCH)