Man accused of murdering asylum seeker and ex-footballer crossed border and boarded ferry to England

Prosecutors claimed Ryan Ndede, 23, carried out the fatal knife attack on Quaham Babatunde, 34, before fleeing across the border and boarding a ferry bound for England.

Details emerged as Ndede, of Boroimhe Birches in Dublin, was remanded in custody accused of killing the 34-year-old victim in the early hours of February 15.

Mr Babatunde, a Nigerian asylum seeker and ex-footballer, was stabbed repeatedly during the incident at South Anne Street.

Ndede was detained in Belfast the following day and questioned under the Criminal Jurisdiction Act 1975 before appearing at the city’s Magistrates Court to be formally charged with the murder.

Handcuffed and wearing a grey custody tracksuit, he confirmed that he understood the allegations against him.

Prosecution counsel claimed Ndede was identified on CCTV footage from the scene of the alleged attack.

“There was a group melee, and the defendant can be seen approaching the deceased with a knife concealed in his puffa jacket which he produced and stabbed him four times, once to the heart being the fatal wound,” the barrister submitted.

The court heard Ndede was then allegedly tracked on footage as he moved through the streets before arriving at a rented apartment in the Dublin 8 approximately 25 minutes later.

“He was no longer wearing a jacket but identifiable by other clothing,” counsel said.

A knife recovered from that address is undergoing testing to establish if it is linked to the killing.

Two members of the Garda Siochana picked out Ndede on the footage, it was claimed.

The prosecutor added: “He arrived by bus in Belfast on Sunday afternoon and boarded a ferry that evening to Birkenhead.

“The ferry was turned around and he was arrested on the ferry.”

Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Darragh Mackin, an investigating detective confirmed that forensic results so far have proved to be negative.

The solicitor also disputed the alleged identification evidence against his client.

“The knife man is described as tall and slim, but that doesn’t match Mr Ndede’s description,” he insisted.

During the hearing it was established that the Advocate General for Northern Ireland is legally required to give consent for the case to be dealt with in Belfast.

Mr Mackin claimed his client could not be connected because that authorisation was not obtained at an initial stage.

“These proceedings have been improperly brought,” he contended.

However, District Judge Alan White ruled that he had jurisdiction to deal with the case.

With no application for bail made, he remanded Ndede in custody to appear back in court on March 21.

Meanwhile, two other men appeared in court in Dublin earlier this week in connection with the incident.