Balotelli’s Nigerian friend stabbed to death in London

Mayowa Ogunbayo and Mario Balotelli

Muyiwa Ogunbayo, a 29-year-old Nigerian friend of Italian footballer, Mario Balotelli, was on Friday found dead with a stab wound to the heart at his home in Park Royal, west London.

Police arrested a 21-year-old woman on suspicion of murder following the incident in the early hours of Friday morning.

She has been released on bail pending further investigation.

The death is being treated as “unexplained”, with officers trying to establish whether or not the injuries may have been self-inflicted.

Mr Ogunbayo lived in the £500,000 two-bedroom apartment with his dancer fiancée, who he proposed to in May.

His social media accounts are flooded with pictures of himself with Balotelli and ex-Super Eagles star, Obafemi Martins.

The lover of sports cars grew up in Nigeria and moved to the UK with his mother and three sisters to study at college.

After working with five-star hotels, while studying at the University of Kent, he set up his own entertainments company.

Close friend Ayodele Samson on Wednesday paid tribute to “the respectful gentleman”.

He told the Standard: “Mayowa was always very obedient and respectful.

“He loved the people around him and he was very loyal. He never looked down on people even when he got rich.

“The thing I liked about him is he didn’t drink or smoke he was always comfortable with water when he went to parties.

“He was looking his whole life for a good lady to settle down with and make his wife.

“He wanted a family more than anything. He was friends with so many stars in Nigeria and the world simply by being a social guy. We can’t believe this has happened, he was a complete gentleman.”