Benjamin Katabana, 28, was handed a life sentence with a minimum 20-year term after a jury convicted him of murdering 33-year-old Nigerian former UEA student Uchenna Okirie in Norwich.

A 28-year-old Congolese man, Benjamin Katabana, has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the United Kingdom for the murder of his Nigerian roommate, 33-year-old Uchenna Okirie.

Katabana was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years after a jury found him guilty of murder following what prosecutors described as a violent and unprovoked attack.

According to a BBC report sighted by Our Correspondent Online on Tuesday, the incident occurred on November 22 at Somerleyton House on Somerleyton Street in Norwich.

Okirie, popularly known as Uche, was a former economics student at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and was using his phone when Katabana attacked him with a knife.

Norfolk Constabulary said Katabana had lured Okirie into the communal corridor of their shared accommodation through WhatsApp messages before launching the attack.

He initially stabbed Okirie before attacking him repeatedly and kicking him in the head while he was on the floor.

Okirie was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 6am.

A post-mortem examination later established that the Nigerian died from a stab wound to the chest.

Following the killing, Katabana activated the building’s fire alarm before walking to Bethel Street Police Station, where he surrendered himself to the police.

Upon arriving at the station, he reportedly told officers: “I have killed someone, I think.”

The murder weapon was not recovered.

During police interviews, Katabana repeatedly declined to explain what had happened, responding “no comment” to questions from investigators.

At Norwich Crown Court, Katabana had initially pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. However, the jury rejected the plea and subsequently convicted him of murder.

During sentencing, Judge Bate noted that Katabana had five previous convictions for seven offences.

The court was also told about an earlier incident in which Katabana had kicked another person in the head while the victim was lying on the floor following an assault.

Addressing Katabana, the judge said his history showed a pattern of dealing with problems through violence.

“You act impulsively and resolve issues through violence,” the judge told him.

The sentence means Katabana will spend at least 20 years in prison before he can be considered for release, subject to the applicable rules governing life sentences in England and Wales.

The death of Okirie has left a family and community mourning the loss of a young Nigerian whose life was cut short while living and studying in the UK.