Qayyum Balogun, 21, Fatally Stabbed in Dublin After Concert on June Bank Holiday

Qayyum Balogun, 21, was fatally stabbed in Dublin's Grafton Street area in the early hours of Monday, June 3. He and his sister Aliyah, 20, had traveled from Dundalk to see Nigerian singer Famous Pluto at Bewley’s cafe. The siblings, both Maynooth University students, had just finished their summer exams.

The concert ended after 2 AM. Qayyum told Aliyah he wanted to stay out longer, so she returned to their hotel. He later told her his phone was dying and he was coming soon. When he didn't return, Aliyah received a call around 3:30 AM from a friend, informing her Qayyum was in an ambulance en route to St James’s Hospital.

His family believes he was first attacked on Grafton Street, pursued along Johnson’s Court, and fatally stabbed on Clarendon Street just before 3 AM. Aliyah called her parents, Ibrahim and Teslimot Balogun, who rushed to the hospital. Doctors informed them Qayyum had multiple stab wounds and had died. His mother described him as a «gentle soul» who rarely socialized at night, preferring to play PlayStation at home. His father, Ibrahim, a quality controller, was in Nigeria when he received Aliyah's call at 4 AM.

Qayyum, born in Dublin in September 2004, was the eldest child of Nigerian refugees. He was in his third year of a computer science degree and aspired to be a computer engineer. His parents are struggling to cope with the loss, emphasizing his quiet nature and aversion to trouble. They await the return of his remains to lay him to rest.