Nigerian Migrant on Trial for Stabbing Three Police Officers in Germany

A Nigerian migrant is on trial in Germany for allegedly assaulting and stabbing three police officers in the city of Karlsruhe. The 36-year-old, identified as Wisdom O., faces charges of attempted manslaughter and other offenses.

Wisdom O., who resides in an asylum home in Soest, North Rhine-Westphalia, reportedly lived in Italy before moving to Germany. His trial began on February 3, 2025. Prosecutors allege that he intended to kill officers during an altercation on a night train last year.

The incidents began on July 5, 2024, when the migrant received €200 from his sister and used it to purchase crack cocaine at Karlsruhe Central Station in Baden-Württemberg. After smoking the drug, he allegedly grabbed a child violently. Police intervened, leading to a confrontation in which the suspect bit an officer. Three other officers sustained abrasions during the struggle.

Thirteen hours later, Wisdom O. boarded a night train without a ticket. When confronted by police, he allegedly resisted arrest and repeatedly stabbed officers from behind with a cutter knife. One officer suffered stab wounds to the head, arm, and hand, while another was cut on the leg. Both were hospitalized and remain unable to work due to their injuries.

Despite these attacks, the public prosecutor initially released Wisdom O. He then continued to evade fares on public transport. The following Saturday at 7 a.m., he reportedly attacked a federal police officer when stopped for another ticket violation. He was arrested again but was released shortly afterward, despite officers twice requesting an arrest warrant.

Four days later, authorities finally arrested him in Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia, based on a new warrant. In court, Wisdom O. denied the charges, claiming he had not committed any crimes. He stated that he was merely cleaning his fingernails with the knife and suggested that officers were cut while trying to take the blade from him.