The chief suspect in the murder of Quham Babatunde in Dublin city centre at the weekend is likely to stand trial in Northern Ireland.
The man, who is aged in his 20s and lives in the Dublin area, is believed to have stabbed Mr Babatunde (34) several times during a brawl between two groups of people on South Anne Street in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The suspect was detained by the PSNI at Belfast Port on Monday as he prepared to board a ferry to Liverpool. He remains in police custody in Belfast.
Another two men have been arrested in Dublin. One of those, Jeffrey Bangu (21), appeared before Dublin District Court on Tuesday charged with assault, brandishing a knife and violent disorder in relation to the incident.
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He did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody.
The man arrested by the PSNI may be put on trial by Northern Ireland authorities under legislation introduced during the Troubles.
The Criminal Jurisdiction Act 1975 was introduced to overcome legal hurdles to prosecuting paramilitaries who fled from the Republic to the North.
A corresponding law, the Criminal Justice (Jurisdiction) Act 1976 was introduced in Ireland around the same time to allow the prosecution of paramilitaries who had fled South.
[ Third man arrested in connection with fatal stabbing in Dublin city centreOpens in new window ]
The laws were intended to skirt an effective ban on extraditions between the two jurisdictions which had been imposed by the courts.
Any investigation preceding a trial would be led by the PSNI but with extensive input from the Garda, sources said. It is possible a joint investigation team will be established to co-ordinate inquiries.
There is precedent for this. In 2023, a joint PSNI/Garda team investigated the murder of Geila Ibram in Limerick after the chief suspect, Habib Shamel, was arrested in Northern Ireland. Mr Shamel remains in custody in the north in advance of his trial there.
Sources said any trial of the suspect of the South Anne Street murder in Northern Ireland may present specific difficulties.
Two suspects have already been arrested in Dublin and further arrests are possible, gardaí said. This means there is a possibility of two separate trials, in two different jurisdictions, in relation to the same incident.
This could raise novel legal questions about the admissibility of evidence and witnesses. Such a scenario has not been encountered before, sources said.
Mr Babatunde, an asylum seeker from Nigeria, was attending a music event in the Twenty Two nightclub when a fight broke out between two groups over seating arrangements.
The fight spilled on to the street where several people were injured. Mr Babatunde suffered a number of stab wounds and died at the scene.
