A 34-year-old Nigerian asylum seeker who was fatally stabbed in Dublin had previously been accused of rape in Italy, his friends have revealed.
Quaham Babatunde lost his life after being stabbed in the chest on South Anne Street in the early hours of Saturday morning.
It has since come to light that he was accused of rape while residing in Italy in April 2018 and was reportedly facing deportation. A friend of Babatunde’s shared a recent photo of him with DublinLive and confirmed the veracity of the Italian reports about the rape accusation.
However, the friend also mentioned that Babatunde had always professed his innocence, a claim they trusted. Local reports suggest that Babatunde was once a promising footballer for Nigeria’s national team.
However, his career took a downturn when he was accused of raping a young woman on January 22, 2018. He was subsequently charged and held in custody before being deported.
Reports indicate that Babatunde was arrested in April following a three-month manhunt, and was later released from custody. The allegations against him claimed that he met a 22-year-old woman in a club, and they later shared a taxi ride.
Babatunde allegedly suggested they stop at his house for a drink, where he is reported to have raped the woman while she was asleep.
The woman reported the incident to the police the following day, identifying Babatunde by his tattoos, which ultimately led to his arrest. Despite denying the allegations during his court hearing and insisting that their relationship was consensual, the then 29-year-old footballer couldn’t evade the charges.
Reports suggest that he had a career in Italy’s Primavera of Reggiana, travelling extensively across the country. He also had stints with Monselice and represented Nigeria’s under-20 team in 2009.
Babatunde was arrested in an apartment in Mezzavia, the same location where he was accused of committing the crime earlier in January. In September 2019, Babatunde, also known as Mike Obumbo or ‘Baba’, was stopped in Reggio during a routine police check while he was out on bail for the rape case.
It was discovered that he didn’t have a valid licence, and his driver was suspected of having a fake one. Further investigations revealed that Babatunde had applied for a residence permit, but his application was rejected.
As a result, a complaint was filed against him for being an illegal immigrant, leading to his impending deportation back to Nigeria.
The 2019 report unearthed that Babatunde had a past marred by criminal activities, including brawling and rape allegations. When probed about his history, the garda press office stated: “Any queries in relation to persons part of the International Protection Process are a matter for the International Protection Office. Any information on any person that may or may not exist in a 3rd country is a matter for the authorities in that country.”
The International Protection Office remained silent despite requests for a statement.
Babatunde’s acquaintances have stepped up to defend him, suggesting he was merely “in the wrong place at the wrong time” during a squabble over seating at a table. They were stunned, insisting that Mr Babatunde only turned up at the club at 1am and wasn’t part of the initial clash between two groups, which oddly erupted over where to sit inside the establishment.
“He was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” one pal remarked. “He wasn’t initially out when the two groups had a falling out. He only arrived to the venue for 1am and was stabbed at 3am.”
They elaborated on what led to the incident: “The event happening in the club, there was a row over people not being allowed to sit at people’s tables and because they didn’t let them sit with them it turned out to be a bigger issue than what it was supposed to be,” they alleged.
“He wasn’t even there when it happened.”
A disagreement over seating erupted into a terrifying moment when a masked attacker brandished a large knife on the street; horrifying footage showed him violently lunging at bystanders. Amid the chaos, Mr. Babatunde, seen by gardai as an innocent victim ensnared in the altercation, sustained a deadly chest stab wound.
Another person was injured in the stabbing episode but survived. Speaking to The Irish Mirror, a friend commemorated Mr. Babatunde, recalling that despite his previous life in Italy and absence of family locally, he was considered generous and well-liked in the community.
“He was very caring and always stopped a fight,” the friend said. “As you can see in the video he didn’t expect what happened to happen. He took care of everyone he encountered. People referred to him as Big Bro.”
The deceased was aiming for a role in security and had passed the necessary exam.
His friend reflected: “He wanted to do a security job here and he did the exam for it. He was building his life here and it was taken.”
This sorrowful incident occurs amid significant detentions by both gardai and the PSNI regarding the murder investigation. A chief suspect was apprehended by the PSNI in Belfast on Monday while trying to depart on a ferry bound for Liverpool.
Gardai had informed the PSNI, worried the subject might be attempting to flee their jurisdiction.
In addition, Gardai in Dublin nabbed another person of interest who was subsequently detained at Pearse Street Garda station for questioning. Following this, a third suspect turned themselves in voluntarily to the Gardai in Dublin.
The individual arrested in Belfast, who is now in custody, had previously been released on bail related to an alleged knife possession charge. In contrast, the initial suspect taken into custody in Dublin was out on bail for drug-related offences and possessing an improvised firearm.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed the apprehension of a 23 year old man in Belfast “on suspicion of murder.”
They announced: “The arrest was made in connection with a fatal assault in the South Anne Street/Duke Lane Upper area of Dublin in the early hours of Saturday 15th February, 2025. The man was detained under the Criminal Jurisdiction Act 1975 and remains in police custody at this time.”
The PSNI has pledged ongoing collaboration with An Garda Síochána and promised to issue further updates as they become available. They have called on anyone with information to get in touch with Pearse Street Garda Station or the Garda Confidential line.
Mr Babatunde, who hailed from Nigeria, was fatally stabbed by a masked assailant after what seemed to be a clash between two groups following an Afroswing event at Twenty Two. Another individual caught up in the dreadful incident at 3am was hospitalised with stab wounds that were not life-threatening.
The management of Ballyogan IPAS accommodation centre notified residents that Mr Babatunde was among the first IPAS residents to be housed there.
