Nigerian-Canadian Arrested for Murder of Varsity Student
- Toronto Police charged 28-year-old Nigerian Canadian Babatunde Afuwape with First Degree Murder over the fatal shooting of University of Toronto student Shivank Avasthi near the Scarborough campus
- Investigators said the victim was attacked along the Highland Creek Trail on December 23, 2025, and described the killing as a planned and deliberate act, though no motive had been established
- Police reassured students and residents that the suspect was in custody while appealing for witnesses who may have seen or interacted with the accused on the day of the incident
Toronto Police have charged a 28-year-old Nigerian Canadian man, Babatunde Afuwape, in connection with the fatal shooting of a University of Toronto student near the institution’s Scarborough campus.
Detectives announced the charge during a media briefing at police headquarters on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Afuwape was charged with First Degree Murder over the death of Shivank Avasthi, a 20-year-old third year student of the University of Toronto.
Source: Facebook
Fatal shooting near highland creek trail
Investigators said Avasthi was shot on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, along the Highland Creek Trail near Old Kingston Road. Officers responded to a call reporting unknown trouble around 3:34 p.m. and discovered the victim suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect left the area before police arrived.
Describing the killing as deeply tragic, Detective Sergeant Stacey McCabe of the Homi-cide and Missing Persons Unit said the victim was an international student from India with strong academic promise.
“Shivank was a third-year U of T student from India. He was young, bright, and had his whole life ahead of him,” McCabe said.
“Our thoughts remain with his family, friends, classmates, and everyone affected by his loss.”
Police say attack was planned
McCabe said investigators do not believe the accused and the victim were known to each other. She added that police consider the shooting a planned and deliberate act, though the motive remains unclear.
“Based on our investigation, we do not believe the accused and the victim were known to each other,” she said.
“It is our belief that this was a planned and deliberate act by the accused, and we have not yet found a motive for why Shivank was targeted.”
Police acknowledged that the incident unsettled students, staff, and residents who use the trail and surrounding campus areas. McCabe assured the public that the suspect is now in custody and no longer poses a threat.
Court appearance and public appeal
Afuwape, a Toronto resident, was scheduled to appear before the Toronto Regional Bail Centre on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. Investigators continue to appeal for information from anyone who may have seen or interacted with the suspect on the Highland Creek Trail or nearby areas on the day of the shooting.
UK-based Nigerian student dies
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that
Source: Twitter
Nigerian postgraduate student, identified as Hammed, has died in the United Kingdom after a sudden decline caused by advanced cancer.
His passing became public after organisers of a GoFundMe appeal updated the campaign from a plea for medical assistance to a request for support to cover his burial in the UK.
Source: Legit.ng
