An adult secondary school student suspected of stabbing a Nigerian footballer in the Lithuanian city of Alytus had reportedly been preparing for a serious violent act for nearly two years, according to prosecutors, who added that the victim appears to have been selected at random.
The incident occurred in broad daylight more than a week ago on Naujoji Street in Alytus.
The victim, Chinonso Jeremiah Obi, who plays for local club Dainava, was attacked while heading to the team’s base.
He was knocked to the ground and stabbed with a knife before being rushed to Alytus County Stasys Kudirka Hospital and later transferred to Kaunas Clinics.
He has since been discharged and is continuing his recovery at home.
Reports from Alytaus naujienos indicate that the footballer sustained stab wounds to the abdomen and thigh, along with an injury to his hand.
“Never been more grateful to be alive,” Chinonso wrote on social media, thanking God and his supporters for their good wishes.
The suspect, described as a young adult in his final year at Jotvingiai High School in Alytus, has been placed in custody for up to three months amid concerns he could flee or commit further offences.
Officials from the Nigerian embassy in Lithuania visited Obi on Monday to check on his health as well as his living and sporting conditions in the country.
Prosecutors overseeing the pre-trial investigation told regional outlet Alytaus naujienos that early findings suggest the suspect had been planning a serious crime for about two years, though the victim was chosen randomly.
When asked to clarify the nature of the planned crime, prosecutor Vytautas Gataveckas of the Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office said that, based on preliminary information, it would have been murder.
Regarding a possible racial motive, the prosecutor’s office stated that factors such as racial hatred are still under investigation and will be confirmed or dismissed after further inquiries. However, Gataveckas noted that initial indications pointing to racial hatred have been identified.
If the attempted murder is determined to have been racially motivated, the charge could be upgraded under a separate provision of the Criminal Code, carrying a significantly harsher penalty ranging from eight to twenty years in prison or life imprisonment.
Investigators have conducted searches, including at the suspect’s residence, though prosecutors declined to disclose findings or comment on other procedural steps at this stage of the investigation.
Meanwhile, the school attended by the suspect has been described as deeply shaken by the incident, confirming that the student is in his final year and has already reached adulthood.
