Cork Rapper Sought Over Dublin Stabbing Murder of Qayyum Balogun
The chief suspect in the June 1 stabbing death of 21-year-old Qayyum Balogun near Grafton Street is an underground rapper from Cork, now believed to be in the UK.
Cork Underground Rapper Sought Over Fatal Dublin Stabbing
The chief suspect in the murder of 21-year-old Qayyum Balogun on Clarendon Street in Dublin is understood to be an underground rapper from Cork who has since fled to the United Kingdom, corkbeo.ie reports.
Balogun was killed on June 1 after being chased by a group of 14 men near Grafton Street in Dublin city centre. Gardaí believe he was first stabbed in the arm on Grafton Street before fleeing for his life. He was chased and stabbed a further two times.
The chief suspect, whose identity has not been officially confirmed, has ties to Co Cork and previously played with a League of Ireland soccer club. He has previously served time in prison in Cork.
Gardaí have launched a major manhunt for the suspect and are examining video footage and searching for weapons connected to the incident, which occurred shortly after a gig in Dublin. Officers recovered one knife from the scene and found bloodied clothing at an Airbnb in south Dublin where the suspect is believed to have been staying. Investigators are also searching for other weapons they believe may have been used.
The Irish Mirror reported earlier this week that the suspect uploaded a music video to social media on Bank Holiday Monday night — hours after the killing — in which he lifted his top to reveal a knife concealed in his trousers. In the clip, he raps about telling the "feds that I don't know sh*t," and adds: "pigs want me in the box, ain't waiting for no corner kick." He has since deleted much of his social media content.
In a separate post believed to have been uploaded after the killing, and which is also being examined by gardaí, the suspect wrote: "What's a body to me?" Officers are additionally examining a third-party video showing the suspect running on Grafton Street with an apparent knife in his hand on the night of the attack.
The suspect is believed to have travelled north before boarding a ferry to the UK. Gardaí are understood to be liaising with British authorities and are monitoring social media accounts connected to the man.
A female associate of the suspect was arrested by gardaí this week and subsequently released without charge.
At Dublin District Court on Friday, Josh Brodericks appeared for a hearing. He is not accused of attacking Balogun, but faces two charges of assault causing harm and two further charges of violent disorder. The judge granted him bail after noting that none of the charges specifically related to offences alleged to have been committed against Balogun — though all charges do relate to the incident in which he died. Balogun, a student, was a native of Co Louth.
Balogun's sister, Aliyah, has appealed to those responsible for her brother's death to hand themselves in to authorities.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)