A 28-year-old Congolese national, Benjamin Katabana, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his Nigerian roommate, 33-year-old Uchenna Okirie, in Norwich, United Kingdom.
Katabana will serve a minimum of 20 years in prison before he can be considered for release.
According to reports on Tuesday, Katabana lured Okirie, popularly known as Uche, into the communal corridor of their shared accommodation at Somerleyton House, Somerleyton Street, Norwich, using WhatsApp messages on November 22.
Police said Okirie was on his phone when Katabana attacked him with a knife. He was stabbed in the chest and repeatedly assaulted, including being kicked in the head while lying on the floor.
Okirie was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 6am. A post-mortem examination confirmed that the cause of death was a stab wound to the chest.
CCTV footage showed the two men meeting in the corridor shortly before the fatal attack.
Following the incident, Katabana activated the building’s fire alarm before walking to Bethel Street Police Station, where he surrendered and reportedly told officers: “I have killed someone, I think.”
The murder weapon was not recovered. During police questioning, Katabana repeatedly declined to explain his actions, responding only with “no comment”.
He initially pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Norwich Crown Court on the grounds of diminished responsibility. However, following a trial, a jury convicted him of murder.
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Sentencing him to life imprisonment, Judge Bate imposed a minimum term of 20 years.
The court heard that Katabana had five previous convictions for seven offences, including an earlier assault in which he kicked a person in the head while the victim was on the ground.
The judge said Katabana had a pattern of resolving issues through violence, telling him: “You act impulsively and resolve issues through violence.”
His defence argued that his behaviour was linked to a traumatic childhood in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
However, prosecutors told the court that Katabana had already armed himself with a knife before contacting Okirie and arranging their meeting.
Senior investigating officer Alix Wright of Norfolk Police described the killing as a “violent and unprovoked attack”, saying Katabana deliberately lured Okirie into the corridor after arming himself.
Wright expressed sympathy to Okirie’s family and said she hoped the conviction would provide them with some measure of justice.
Okirie, a former economics student at the University of East Anglia, was 33 when he was killed.
Katabana will remain behind bars for at least 20 years before becoming eligible for consideration for release.
