The wife of murdered Nigerian taxi driver Moses Ayanwole has spoken of her family’s grief and anguish – and dismissed claims his death was racially motivated.

Mother-of-one Olusola Ayanwole held her husband’s hand for three days as he fought for life in hospital after he was viciously attacked in a row over a fare.

The 41-year-old driver was assaulted on the capital’s Pearse Street last week and died three days later at St James’s Hospital.

Olusola told the Irish Independent how she held her husband’s hand and begged him to ‘open his eyes’ as his life slipped away.

She also told the paper that she has forgiven his killer and ‘left her anger with God’.

Ayanwole also revealed how she and the couple’s only child, 12-year-old Joshua, are ‘struggling’ to come to terms with his death.

“He was my husband, my supporter, my best friend, my confidante. I know him all of my life and I miss him so much,” she said.

On the night he was attacked, Moses had attended church, sang with the choir and shared an intimate family meal with his wife and only child - hours later police called to the family home in Clonsilla with news of the attack.

“I was so shocked. The doctors told me his injuries were very severe and I thought God, why did this happen to me?,” she said.

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“I spent three days at my husband’s bedside praying for his life. I said to him - Moses, open your eyes. I want to hold your hand. I am here with you, your son wants to talk to you.

“Joshua misses his father so much; he is always asking me is his daddy gone? He wants to see his daddy.”

Resident in Ireland for 15 years now, Olusola has dismissed reports that the attack on her husband was racially motivated.

She said: “Ireland is a wonderful country, very peaceful. Moses, Joshua and I loved Ireland. We planned to stay here forever. I don’t think this had anything to do with racism.”