A 20-year-old Nigerian student, Khaleed Oladipo, has died after being stabbed near De Montfort University in the city of Leicester, police have confirmed.
Leicestershire Police said Oladipo was attacked on Oxford Street, close to the junction with Bonners Lane, on Tuesday evening. Officers were called to the scene shortly after 5:00pm following reports that a man had collapsed. He was rushed to hospital but later died from his injuries.
A post-mortem examination confirmed that Oladipo died from a stab wound to the chest.
An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody as investigations continue. Several roads around the area were temporarily closed to allow forensic teams to carry out examinations.
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Oladipo, who was originally from London and born to Nigerian parents, was a second-year undergraduate studying cyber-security at De Montfort University. His death has sent shockwaves through both the university community and the Nigerian diaspora in the United Kingdom.
In a statement released through police, Oladipo’s family described him as “a good boy who loved his family”, adding that they were struggling to come to terms with his death.
“We cannot begin to put into words how sad we are to have lost Khaleed,” the family said. “We believe he was on his way home to watch the game later that night when he was stabbed and killed.”
They revealed that Oladipo was a passionate football fan and a loyal supporter of Arsenal.
The family also expressed gratitude to members of the public who tried to assist him at the scene, as well as to ambulance crews and hospital staff. “They did all they could to try and save him,” the statement said.
They further thanked the police for their ongoing investigation, adding: “We are really grateful to the police for their efforts so far to ensure the person responsible is brought to justice. We are struggling to understand why anyone would do this.”
The Vice-Chancellor of De Montfort University, Katie Normington, said the institution was “devastated” by the loss of one of its students. She confirmed that support services had been put in place for students, staff and Oladipo’s family.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragic incident,” she said. “We are offering direct support during this extremely difficult time.”
Police have appealed to anyone who was in the area at the time of the attack, or who may have relevant information or footage, to come forward as inquiries continue.
The killing adds to growing concerns over knife crime in parts of the UK and has renewed calls for stronger community safety measures around student areas.
