Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The father of a 21-year-old Nigerian student who was fatally stabbed on the streets of Dublin has spoken of his devastation, saying he never imagined his son would lose his life in a country he had once seen as a place of safety.
Qayyum Balogun, a third-year Computer Science student at Maynooth University, died in the early hours of June 1, 2026, after being attacked on Clarendon Street, just off Dublin's famous Grafton Street. He was 21 years old and would have turned 22 in September.
His father, Ibrahim Balogun, who was visiting family in Nigeria at the time of the killing, told the Irish Independent: "It's hard to believe my son would die in Ireland, after what I left in Nigeria." He had been due to travel with his father to Nigeria but stayed back because of his examinations.
Qayyum had travelled to Dublin with his sister, Aliyah, 20, and friends to attend a gig by Nigerian artist Famous Pluto at Bewley's Café on Grafton Street on the June bank holiday weekend. After the concert ended at about 2:30 a.m., he told his sister he wanted to stay out a little longer and asked her to return to their hotel.
According to his family, Qayyum was attacked after he tried to intervene when a woman was being harassed. His mother, Teslimot Balogun, told RTÉ that her son was "very quiet, funny, friendly" and did not cause any trouble. "He intervened when a woman was being harassed," she said. "He was a gentle soul."
Gardaí (Irish police) believe the killing was part of a wider dispute between rival groups after the concert. According to court testimony, Qayyum was allegedly chased by a gang of 14 men and was set upon by six people. He was initially stabbed in the arm after leaving the gig and then tried to escape, but his attackers caught up with him on Clarendon Street and stabbed him several more times. He collapsed on the street and was treated by gardaí and paramedics before being rushed to St James's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 4:30 a.m.
Ibrahim Balogun, a quality controller at a food factory in Co Monaghan, received the news in a frantic phone call from his daughter in the early hours of the morning. "I had my phone beside my bed. When I saw the time I was pretty sure something was wrong," he told The Irish Times. "She was like: 'Dad, Dad, Dad.' I asked: 'What happened? What happened?' She told me: 'Qayyum got stabbed.' I was confused. I was devastated."
The family described Qayyum as a "gentle soul" who rarely socialised at night. He worked weekends at a Burger King in Castlebellingham and was known on the African music scene in Dublin as a concert promoter. His stepmother, Loveth Patrick, said he was "one of the sweetest souls you could ever meet, gentle, calm". "He was always smiling," she said. "He didn't look for trouble."
At his funeral on June 16, close to 100 people gathered at Newtown Cross Lawn Cemetery in Drogheda to bid him farewell. Imam Nooh of the Dundalk Muslim community led an Islamic burial service. His mother, Teslimot, said: "He's my first son and I will miss him forever and ever. I can't bear the pain but I know God is giving me my strength."
Gardaí have made several arrests in connection with the killing. A woman in her 20s was arrested on June 2 and later released without charge. A man in his 20s was charged with assault causing harm in connection with a separate incident. Another man, Joshua Brodericks (25), has been charged with violent disorder and is due to appear in court again in September. One assault charge against him was dropped on June 12.
The main suspect, described as an amateur rapper in his early 20s, is believed to have fled Ireland shortly after the attack. Gardaí believe he travelled to Northern Ireland and then on to Scotland. He has been captured on CCTV fleeing the scene and was seen in a social media video hours after the killing, lifting his top to reveal a knife in his trousers.
Ibrahim Balogun has appealed to the suspect to return and cooperate with investigators. "We just want to know the truth about what led to the fatal attack," he said. Gardaí have recovered a number of knives from the scene and are continuing to analyse CCTV and social media footage. They have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
As at June 29th, 2026, for the Balogun family, the grief remains unbearable. "He died a miserable death," his mother said. "He was quiet, he didn't like trouble. The pain and the hurt is very, very deep."
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