Three people have been arrested following the violent disorder that swept Belfast after a Sudanese asylum seeker allegedly stabbed Stephen Ogilvie and left him without an eye — with the Security Minister warning rioters they will be caught and face the full force of the law, as the Northern Ireland Secretary raised questions for the Irish authorities about how the suspect entered the UK.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis told the House of Commons that three arrests had been made following Tuesday night’s disorder but made clear that number would grow. “Our message to those responsible for last night’s disorder is altogether different. To them, we say this — you will be caught, and you will face the consequences of your actions,” he said. “As of this morning, there have been three arrests, but more will surely follow. To those considering joining further disorder, my message is clear: do not do it. You will be held accountable for your actions. You will feel the full force of the law.”
Jarvis paid tribute to police and emergency services for responding with “great courage” to what he described as an “extraordinarily challenging situation,” while condemning the rioters without reservation. “There is no excuse for the disgraceful scenes of violence and disorder that occurred in Northern Ireland last night,” he said, describing alleged attacks against ethnic minority people as “sickening.” He drew a sharp distinction between legitimate concern over the original attack and the violence that followed. “The attack on Monday evening has understandably caused anger and profound concern. However, there is a line between concern and disorder, and we must never allow it to be crossed.”
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn meanwhile raised questions about the Irish authorities’ knowledge of the suspect, speaking at PSNI headquarters after revealing he had called Irish Minister Helen McEntee the previous night to brief her on developments. “Obviously there are questions for us, some of which have been asked today, and there will be questions too for the authorities in Ireland about what they know about the individual, because all of that may contribute to the investigation process that is rightly continuing,” Benn told reporters.
The PSNI has confirmed that Hadi Alodid, 30, the man charged with Stephen Ogilvie’s attempted murder, entered Northern Ireland by crossing the Irish border in February 2023 after flying to Dublin from Paris. He claimed asylum on arrival in Belfast and was granted leave to remain in the UK until 2028 in September of that year. The fact that he crossed an open border without passport checks has intensified scrutiny of security arrangements at the Irish land border and of the asylum grant that followed.
Ogilvie, an NHS radiographer in his 40s understood to be originally from Scotland, is in hospital after losing his left eye in Monday’s attack. He had been living in the same block of flats as his alleged attacker. Alodid appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court via video link on Wednesday, was refused bail and remanded in custody for four weeks after a detective described him as “unpredictable” and warned his release risked “significant public disorder.” The court heard Alodid told a medic after the attack “I’ve killed someone, I don’t know if they are dead,” before threatening the same medic with the words “I will kill you.”
