Nigerians have been posting tributes on social media since the announcement of the death of a former Nigerian beauty queen and doctoral student in Philadelphia, Ms. Najeebat Sule who was shot dead while sitting in her car in front of her family’s home in US.
According to reports, 24-year-old, Najeebat Sule, was killed shortly before 6pm on March 12, steps away from her residence in the 8800 block of Frankford Avenue leaving her parents now hiding in fear for their lives.
Her father disclosed, Sule was sitting in her grey Toyota Corolla, exchanging text messages with Magaji, when an unidentified man walked up to the vehicle with a gun drawn and shot her several times.
Sule’s father, Adewale Sule, heard the gunfire and emerged from the house just in time to see the suspect fire the last of the shots at his daughter.
In his words: “I saw the guy shooting my daughter. He shot the last round, and I pursued him,” said the father. “He ran back to his car.”
Najeet was rushed to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital, where she was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later.
Her mother, Tawakalitu Sule, said she last heard from Najeet less than two hours before the shooting when her daughter asked her when she would be home.
“All of my children have been crying every day because of their big sister. They miss her. I miss my daughter,” she said.
Najeet is survived by her parents and two sisters. “She was very talented, smart and funny,” one of her siblings told 6abc.
The family are currently staying at an undisclosed location over unspecified concerns for their safety.
Sule and her family immigrated to Philadelphia from their native Nigeria in the early 2000s.
Sule had only recently earned a Master’s degree in public health from West Chester University and was pursuing a doctorate.
In 2019, she was crowned a second runner-up at the Miss Nigeria International pageant.
“Queen Najibat was an amazing young lady whose presence at the Miss Nigerian beauty pageant left a great ripple that continues to resonate,” pageant organizers wrote on Facebook. “She was a breath of fresh air and her presence added a distinct touch that made the event memorable. She carried herself with great dignity and grace and her strength of character and approachability made her such a joy to work with.”
Her Instagram page, which has more than 3,000 followers, features photos of the glamorous PhD student modelling a wide variety of fashionable outfits and accessories.
“Our joke was that she was like a Nigerian princess,” Sule’s high school friend, Tamira DeSeignoria, told the newspaper. “Whatever Najee wanted, Najee got.”
Sule’s shooting comes amid a surge in gun violence in Philadelphia, which has seen a 29 per cent homicide rate increase over the last year.
In the first three months of 2021, there have been 120 killings in Philadelphia, with 15 of the victims being children, reported Fox 29.
However reports revealed that Police have reportedly not found a motive and have made no arrests, leaving Sule’s family and friends searching for answers nearly three weeks after the incident as the deceased recently earned a Master’s degree in public health.
“This is unacceptable,” Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said on Wednesday during a meeting about the latest crime statistics, stressing that “these are human beings that we’re talking about.”
However Nigerians have begun pouring in tributes following the announcement of her death online.
Read some tributes:
Very sad reading the news of the beautiful #Najeebat’s tragic death. #RIP@OgbeniUlama
So sad May her soul rest in peace
🙏🏾@Sandra_LOAT
Quite sad.
Mourn with fortitude.
The Almighty must avenge.@BooksNwokeabia
