A Court in England, Norwich Crown Court, has found a 28-year-old Congolese national, Benjamin Katabana, guilty of murdering a Nigerian student, Uchenna Okirie, following a fatal stabbing incident at a shared residential facility in Norwich.
The Congolese was convicted on Wednesday by a jury at the Norwich Crown Court after an 11-day trial, according to information released by Norfolk Police.
The case stemmed from an incident that occurred on November 22, 2025, at Somerleyton House, a residential complex occupied by students and working professionals.
Emergency services were reportedly called to the property in the early hours of the morning following reports that a man had sustained a stab wound.
Despite efforts by medical personnel, Okirie, a former postgraduate student at University of East Anglia, was pronounced dead shortly after. Investigators subsequently launched a murder probe, with findings later revealing that the victim had suffered a fatal stab wound to the chest.
During the trial, Katabana denied committing murder but admitted to manslaughter, claiming diminished responsibility. His legal team argued that his actions were influenced by psychological trauma linked to his upbringing in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
However, prosecutors maintained that the attack was deliberate and unjustified. According to police, Katabana surrendered himself shortly after the incident and allegedly informed officers that he believed had killed someone.
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Investigators also relied on CCTV footage from the building, which reportedly captured the attack. The footage showed Okirie standing in a communal corridor using his mobile phone when he was confronted by Katabana, who was armed with a knife.
Police said the recording showed the defendant repeatedly attacking the victim before leaving him critically injured on the floor.
Despite the defense’s argument that Katabana temporarily lost control due to past trauma, the jury rejected the diminished responsibility claim and returned a verdict of guilty for murder.
Authorities disclosed that the knife used in the attack was never recovered. They also noted that Katabana largely declined to answer questions during police interviews.
Reacting to the verdict, senior investigating officer Alix Wright described the killing as a calculated and unprovoked act. She said evidence presented during the trial showed that Katabana had arranged to meet Okirie in the corridor through WhatsApp messages before carrying out the attack.
Wright expressed sympathy for the victim’s family, stating that the conviction would hopefully provide some measure of justice following their loss. The court is yet to announce a date for sentencing.
Following Okirie’s death, members of the Nigerian community in Norwich launched a fundraising campaign to support the repatriation of his remains to Nigeria for burial, drawing support from friends, well-wishers and members of the diaspora community.
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