Esther Salifu
A devastating incident has shaken Dublin’s main shopping district, leaving a Nigerian asylum seeker, Quham Babatunde, 34, dead. The brutal stabbing occurred near South Anne Street.
According to reports, Babatunde had attended an Afroswing event at a nearby nightclub before the attack. Emergency responders treated him for multiple stab wounds, including one to the heart, but he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at St James’s Hospital.
A second man sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at the same hospital. Authorities have launched a murder investigation and arrested two men in connection with the incident.
Gardaí believe the stabbing followed a clash between two groups after the Afroswing event. Investigators are examining disturbing footage circulating on social media, which appears to show a masked individual wielding a large knife.
The management of the Ballyogan IPAS centre, where Babatunde resided, issued a message of condolence, highlighting that he was one of the centre’s earliest residents. Friends described Babatunde as a cheerful person known for his ever-present smile.
Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, condemned the attack, calling the violence “disgusting and unacceptable” and vowing that those responsible would be brought to justice.
