A man from Nigeria, Chukwunonso Uzoma David Uzoma Eze, is facing murder charges for the fatal stabbing of 19-year-old Marvins Antoine, a UMass Dartmouth football player, during a confrontation in Providence, Rhode Island, over the weekend. Another player, Kensley Macean, also 19, was injured in the incident with stab wounds to his head and neck and was subsequently hospitalized.
According to multiple federal law enforcement sources, Eze first entered the U.S. in 2015 with a B-2 tourist visa. After that, he received two extensions on his visa—during the Obama administration—and eventually stayed in the country beyond the expiration of his authorized stay.
He was granted deferred action in September 2022 under the Biden administration. Notably, Eze reapplied for deferred action in February and October 2025; the latter request was approved under Trump on October 8, 2025. It’s important to note that deferred action doesn’t equate to lawful immigration status; it’s more about temporarily halting any removal actions against an individual.
Recently, in August 2023, he sought employment authorization, but that application was turned down the following month. If Eze is convicted of murder, the Department of Homeland Security has indicated that he would lose his deferred action status.
The stabbing occurred around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday outside Mezzo Lounge, following an altercation involving patrons from the establishment. Antoine was fatally stabbed in the chest, while Macean suffered his injuries during the same incident.
After the stabbing, Eze was located and arrested by the UMass Dartmouth Police.
