A Nigerian asylum seeker and former footballer, Quaham Babatunde, was tragically stabbed to death in Dublin, Ireland, during a violent incident in the early hours of Saturday morning.
It was gathered that Babatunde, 34, sustained fatal injuries after being attacked on South Anne Street.
The deceased was previously accused of rape in Italy.
The Nigerian national was arrested in April 2018 following a three-month police search and charged with the sexual assault of a 22-year-old woman.
He was later remanded in custody and subsequently deported.
A friend of the deceased confirmed the Italian allegations but he insisted Babatunde always maintained his innocence.
Babatunde, once considered a promising footballer, reportedly played Italian clubs like Monselice and Reggiana Primavera.
However, his football career was overshadowed by his legal troubles, including an arrest in 2019 for brawling and immigration violations.
He was later listed for deportation due to his status as an illegal immigrant.
He was caught in the middle of a violent altercation in Dublin that had initially begun over a dispute regarding seating arrangements in a club.
The shocking footage from the scene shows a masked man wielding a large knife.
Babatunde, described by friends as a peacemaker, was stabbed in the chest and died.
Another man was also injured in the attack but survived.
Investigations by An Garda Síochána led to multiple arrests, including a 23-year-old suspect apprehended in Belfast while attempting to flee to Liverpool.
Two other suspects were also taken into custody in Dublin.
Friends of the deceased have expressed shock at his sudden death, describing him as a caring individual who was trying to rebuild his life. They revealed that he had taken an exam to work as a security guard in Ireland and had no prior involvement in the altercation that led to his death.
Babatunde, one of the first residents of the Ballyogan International Protection Accommodation Centre, had no known family in Ireland.
His tragic killing has raised concerns about violence in Dublin’s nightlife and the plight of asylum seekers abroad.
