Congolese man guilty of murdering Nigerian student in UK

A 28-year-old man from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Benjamin Katabana, has been found guilty of killing a Nigerian student, Uchenna Okirie, in Norwich, England. This murder took place during a stabbing incident at a shared accommodation.

Norfolk Police released a statement on Thursday saying that a jury at Norwich Crown Court found Katabana guilty after an 11-day trial. This follows reports from PUNCH Metro in November 2025 about Katabana being charged for allegedly stabbing Okirie, who was a former postgraduate student at the University of East Anglia.

Reports say that the police received a call to Somerleyton House, off Unthank Road, around 5:22 AM on November 22. They were alerted that a man had suffered a suspected stab wound. Despite the efforts of emergency responders, Okirie was declared dead at 6:01 AM.

The police launched a murder investigation after Okirie, thought to be in his 30s, died from a single stab wound to the chest. In their update, Norfolk Police mentioned that Katabana denied murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility.

The police statement added that Katabana turned himself in shortly after the incident, saying, "I have killed someone, I think." Investigators found that the incident was recorded on CCTV at the building.

The footage reportedly shows Okirie using his phone in a communal corridor when Katabana, holding a knife, attacked him. The police said, "Officers reviewed footage of the incident, which was clearly captured on CCTV. It showed the two men coming together in the corridor of the communal building where they both lived."

The footage shows Okirie seemingly using his phone when Katabana attacked him multiple times and kicked him in the head. His defence team argued that his actions were due to a traumatic upbringing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

However, the jury did not accept this defence and delivered a murder verdict. A post-mortem examination later confirmed that Okirie died from a stab wound to the chest. The weapon used in the attack was never found, and during police interviews, Katabana reportedly said "no comment" when asked about his actions.

Alix Wright, a senior officer on the case, described the killing as a planned and unprovoked attack. Wright said, "This was a violent and unprovoked attack. 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, "Our thoughts remain with Uche’s family, and we hope this conviction provides them with a measure of justice for their loss." The court has not yet set a date for the sentencing.

Meanwhile, Nigerians living in Norwich at the time of the incident started a fundraising campaign to help send Okirie's body back home. The Nigerian community in Norwich created a GoFundMe page named, "Rest in peace, Uche: help us return him to his family."