{"id":117682,"date":"2025-04-21T13:07:52","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T12:07:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=117682"},"modified":"2025-04-21T13:07:52","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T12:07:52","slug":"nigerian-uber-driver-shot-dead-in-us-passenger-in-critical-condition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/nigerian-uber-driver-shot-dead-in-us-passenger-in-critical-condition\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigerian Uber driver shot dead in US, passenger in critical condition"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>Oscar Okhifo, Abuja<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>A 77-year-old Nigerian Uber driver, Olatunji W. Bolaji, was killed in a shooting outside a hookah lounge in Philadelphia, United States.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Bolaji, who lived in Norristown, Pennsylvania, was on duty around 2 a.m. on Wednesday when he picked up a passenger, a 22-year-old man, outside the Byblos Hookah Bar near Rittenhouse Square in Centre City, CBS reports on Friday.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Police authourity said shortly after Bolaji picked up the young man, another vehicle pulled up behind his SUV, and two men got out, opening fire on the vehicle.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Despite being shot in the head, Bolaji managed to drive a short distance before crashing into a pole at 17th and Chestnut Streets.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He was pronounced dead at the scene.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>His passenger, who sustained gunshot wounds to the arm, leg, and stomach, was rushed to Jefferson University Hospital in critical condition.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Police say the shooting was captured on surveillance cameras, and the attackers were in a black Jeep Grand Cherokee believed to have Massachusetts number plates.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Authorities are still trying to determine the motive behind the attack. Investigators believe there may have been a physical altercation between the passenger and the suspects before the shooting.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Ride-hailing platform Uber has expressed sadness over the incident.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Our hearts break for the driver&#8217;s family and loved ones in the wake of this devastating loss.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;We&#8217;ve reached out to police to offer our support as they work to bring those responsible for this heinous act of violence to justice,&#8221; the company said in a statement.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Neighbours have expressed grief over the killing of Bolaji, describing his family as quiet and hardworking.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>A long-time family friend who once lived with Bolaji told NBC10 that he was a kind man who was always ready to help others.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He described Bolaji as a dedicated worker, a loving partner, and a proud father whose son is a college graduate.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>According to the friend, Bolaji\u2019s family is devastated by his death and is seeking justice.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support Bolaji\u2019s family.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The funds will go toward funeral and memorial expenses, as well as living and counselling costs during their period of mourning.<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oscar Okhifo, Abuja A 77-year-old Nigerian Uber driver, Olatunji W. Bolaji, was killed in a shooting outside a hookah lounge in Philadelphia, United States. Bolaji, who lived in Norristown, Pennsylvania,&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":117683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Nigerian Uber driver shot dead in US, passenger in critical condition - Pointblank News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/nigerian-uber-driver-shot-dead-in-us-passenger-in-critical-condition\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nigerian Uber driver shot dead in US, passenger in critical condition - Pointblank News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Oscar Okhifo, Abuja A 77-year-old Nigerian Uber driver, Olatunji W. 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