A Nigerian nurse who has worked in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for five years has expressed feeling unsafe after being targeted during anti-immigrant protests. The unrest followed a violent incident where a Sudanese national attacked a man on the street.
Details of the Attack
On Monday, June 8, 2026, Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old Sudanese national residing in Belfast, attacked 40-year-old Stephen Ogilvie, stabbing him multiple times in the face, back, and neck. Bystanders intervened with a hurling stick and subdued the attacker until police arrived. The attack left the victim without his left eye, sparking widespread anti-immigrant unrest and violence across Northern Ireland.
Nurse's Experience
Amid the protests, people have been setting cars and houses on fire. Chinonso Uche, a Nigerian nurse, revealed that she was attacked by anti-immigrant protesters while returning home from work at the hospital. She stated: “These boys used a stone and they hit me on the head on my way back from work all dressed in my nursing uniform. What was the response when I shared my story online? It was ‘Ireland is tired of immigrants, you should go back home.’ Nobody cares what you do, even though they know I’m a nurse. There is no safety for us, that is the truth.”
Impact on Healthcare Workers
Chinonso Uche said the latest scenes of racist violence have made her want to leave Northern Ireland. She called on racist protesters to ask themselves who will look after their elderly parents if migrants leave. “It’s actually a very scary and hard time as a healthcare worker to be honest,” she told the Irish News.
