A NIGERIAN model and actor will undergo surgery today after being assaulted in Dublin last weekend.
Uche Odikanwa appeared in advertising for Guinness in Nigeria and came close to winning Nigeria's first reality television show, the Gulder Ultimate Search.
He was one of three runners-up in the 2004 show, which was based on an island and involved a treasure hunt.
Mr Odikanwa was returning home after a night out in Dublin on Saturday when he was attacked by a gang of men on the North Circular Road at about 2am.
"A group of men attacked me from behind and punched me on the right eye," he said. He was also punched on the nose. At least one of the men appeared to be drunk.
Mr Odikanwa sustained a fracture of the eye socket and has suffered from double vision since the incident. He will undergo surgery today at the Mater hospital.
"I am terrified of going for surgery but if that's what it's going to take, I will do it," he said.
He said he was worried that the surgery would scar his face and affect his modelling and acting prospects. Last year he played a part in Wedlock of the Godsat the Project Arts Centre.
While he did not believe that the attack was racially motivated, the men who attacked him did use racist slurs and told him to return to his own country.
"I lived in this area for over a year and never experienced anything like that before," he said.
He appealed to gardaí to carry out more patrols on the streets at night so that the same thing did not happen to someone else. "What happened to me could happen to anybody."
Asked if he found Ireland to be a racist country since he arrived in 2006, he said: "No, no, no. I love this country. People are very wonderful, happy and accommodating. It could happen anywhere. I would just ask the police to patrol the area more. I'm just lucky and I thank God that I was not stabbed or shot and when I get through this life will continue."
Gardaí were called to the scene after the attack but there have been no charges.
