Incident at bar marks city’s seventeenth homicide of the year
A University of Ottawa student has died following an altercation with a 27 year-old man outside Piper’s Bar and Grill near St. Laurent Shopping Centre on Nov. 6.
According to police, the student, 21 year-old Solomon Odekunle, and the suspect, Joe-Bryan Ndikuriyo, had begun arguing over a woman, which led to Ndikuriyo stabbing Odekunle once in the throat. Police suspect that alcohol was involved.
One of Odekunle’s friends was also injured in a subsequent fight.
According to the Ottawa Sun, Odekunle was found on a concrete median on Coventry Road near the St. Laurent Shopping Centre after being stabbed, and was later taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Sun further reported that Odekunle was an international student in his final year of economics and political science at the U of O.
Odekunle was the son of a pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Lagos, Nigeria, and was admitted to the U of O in 2012, according to the Saturday PUNCH. It was reported that Odekunle’s father had traveled to Canada following the death, while his mother remained in Lagos.
In a statement to the Fulcrum, Abdul Karim Turay, a U of O alumnus and friend of Odekunle, said, “A calm and peaceful soul, snatched from this world all too soon. Your memory will live on in us: your family, your friends, and your colleagues for generations to come.”
“You were loved by us all, you were always obedient, helpful, loving and caring, these are attributes that we all strive to achieve, but you being who you are always had them ingrained in you,” Turay said of Odekunle.
Ndikuriyo appeared in court on Nov. 6 and was charged with second-degree murder and attempted murder of Odekunle’s friend, who required stitches.
The CBC reported that Ndikuriyo is known to Ottawa police, having served two weeks in prison for possession of a weapon.
Odekunle’s death marks Ottawa’s seventeenth homicide of the year.
“Your death is a great loss to us all, you can never be replaced,” said Turay. “However, we thank God for the time you spent on Earth, and we thank you for sharing your ideas and your thoughts with us, all of which were insightful and phenomenal.”
Odekunle’s funeral was held on Nov. 11 at 12 p.m. and the memorial service took place at 6 p.m. that evening at 1417 Cyrville Road Unit C in Gloucester.
