Congolese Man Gets Life for Killing Nigerian Roommate

A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his Nigerian roommate in a brutal attack in Norwich, United Kingdom. He will serve a minimum of 20 years before he can apply for release.

According to reports from BBC seen by PUNCH Online on Tuesday, Benjamin Katabana was found guilty of murdering 33-year-old Uchenna Okirie. Okirie was a former economics student at the University of East Anglia. Katabana lured him into the corridor of their shared accommodation using WhatsApp messages.

The incident took place at Somerleyton House on Somerleyton Street in Norwich on November 22. Norfolk Constabulary reported that Okirie, known as Uche, was using his phone when Katabana attacked him with a knife.

Katabana first stabbed Okirie once and then continued to stab him and kicked him in the head while he was on the ground. Okirie was declared dead at the scene shortly after 6 am. A post-mortem showed he died from a stab wound to the chest.

CCTV footage recorded the two men meeting in the corridor just before the attack. After the murder, Katabana set off the building’s fire alarm and walked to Bethel Street Police Station, where he turned himself in.

He reportedly told the police, "I have killed someone, I think." The knife used in the attack was never found, and Katabana refused to explain his actions during police questioning, often saying "no comment."

At Norwich Crown Court, Katabana originally pleaded guilty to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility but was later convicted of murder by a jury. Judge Bate sentenced him to life in prison, with a minimum of 20 years.

The judge pointed out that Katabana had five previous convictions for seven offences, which included a past incident where he kicked someone in the head while they were on the floor after an assault. "You act impulsively and resolve issues through violence," the judge said.

Katabana’s defence claimed that his actions were linked to a difficult childhood in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the court heard that he had armed himself with a knife before reaching out to Okirie for a meeting.

Senior investigating officer Alix Wright from Norfolk Police called the killing a deliberate attack. “This was a violent and unprovoked attack,” Wright said. “Benjamin Katabana deliberately lured Mr Okirie into the corridor through WhatsApp messages where he intended to meet him, having already armed himself with a knife.”

Wright added that the police's thoughts were with Okirie’s family and expressed hope that the conviction would bring them "a measure of justice" for their loss. Okirie was 33 when he died and was a graduate of the University of East Anglia, where he studied economics.

The court heard that Katabana surprised Okirie during the attack inside the building where they both lived. As a result, Katabana received a life sentence and will spend at least 20 years in prison before he can be considered for release.