Nigerian asylum seeker and ex-footballer Quaham Babatunde has been killed during a violent attack on South Anne Street in Dublin, Ireland.
Babatunde, 34, sustained fatal chest wounds after being caught in a dispute that began over seating arrangements in a nightclub. Another man was also injured but survived.
Once a promising footballer who played for Italian clubs Monselice and Reggiana Primavera, Babatunde’s career was overshadowed by legal troubles, including a 2018 sexual assault charge in Italy, which he denied, and an arrest in 2019 for brawling and immigration violations. He was later deported.
Friends of the deceased described him as a peacemaker and a caring individual who had been trying to rebuild his life in Ireland. He had recently taken an exam to qualify as a security guard and was one of the first residents of the Ballyogan International Protection Accommodation Centre.
Shocking footage from the crime scene showed a masked man wielding a large knife. Investigations by An Garda Síochána led to multiple arrests, including a 23-year-old suspect detained in Belfast while attempting to flee to Liverpool. Two others were taken into custody in Dublin.
Babatunde had no known family in Ireland. His killing has sparked concerns about escalating violence in Dublin’s nightlife and the challenges faced by asylum seekers abroad.
Reported by Sahara Reporters.
