Nigerian footballer Obi Jeremiah Chinonso was saved from a potentially fatal stabbing by a passerby who intervened as the attacker struck in broad daylight, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Dainava forward, who was seriously injured in the assault, is now stable in hospital and awaiting a follow-up operation.
Eyewitness Aldas Petrauskas described how he noticed the attack while visiting a client on Naujoji Street.
“From a distance, I saw something bad happening – an attacker with a mask, a knife in his hand. I started running towards them,” Petrauskas told alytusplius.lt.
His quick action prevented what could have been a deadly blow to Chinonso’s head or neck.
Eyewitness account: How Jeremiah Chinonso was saved
Petrauskas said the attacker and the footballer were already on the ground struggling when he arrived.
“I quickly pinned the attacker’s hand with my legs. A struggle ensued, he resisted. Somehow I managed to take the knife away and throw it as far as possible. Blood, tension, adrenaline – everything happened at lightning speed,” he said.
The attacker, reportedly intoxicated, was armed with multiple weapons, including an axe in his backpack. He allegedly told Petrauskas he had no motive and simply wanted to go to prison. A passerby joined Petrauskas, prompting the police to call and arrest the suspect.
“He told me he wanted to go to prison. When he was lying neutralized on the ground, I asked him what he was doing. He said there was no motive, he just wanted to go to prison,” he said.
Chinonso’s condition and ongoing investigation
The 20-year-old joined FK Dainava in February 2025 and had featured in a 3–3 draw against TransINVEST days before the attack.
Following the incident, Lithuanian authorities opened a pre-trial investigation into attempted murder. The club confirmed that the footballer’s life is no longer in danger, though he will undergo another operation to fully recover.
Football officials have also condemned the attack, describing it as a possible manifestation of racism, adding to growing concerns over African players’ safety in Europe.