A UK-based Nigerian postgraduate student, Uche Okirie, has been stabbed to death in Norwich, England, in what police have described as a murder.
A report released by the Norfolk Police confirmed that Mr Okirie, believed to be in his 30s, was attacked in the early hours of Saturday. Officers said he was stabbed in the chest at about 5:22 a.m. in Somerlayton, off Unthank Road.
Colleagues at the University of East Anglia told Peoples Gazette they had identified Mr Okirie’s body but were still trying to contact his family in Nigeria. Police urged anyone in the UK with useful information to call 101 and quote incident number 51 of November 22, 2025.
According to the Norwich Evening News, shocked residents were forced out of their rooms in pyjamas and slippers after a fire alarm went off, with neighbours shouting “someone’s dead” upon discovering the body.
Police arrested 27-year-old Congolese national Benjamin Katheba shortly after the incident. He was charged with murder and remanded in custody following a Monday court appearance at the Norwich Magistrates’ Court. An autopsy conducted by the UK Home Office concluded that Mr Okirie died from a single stab wound to the chest.
Forensic teams have since cordoned off the property as they collect blood samples, DNA and other evidence.
Before pursuing postgraduate studies in the UK, Mr Okirie graduated with a Second Class Upper degree in Economics from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, where he studied between 2011 and 2015. He later worked as a Head Office Auditor at UBA Group, a role he assumed in April 2021.
He relocated to the United Kingdom for further studies in September 2021 and served as the International Student Ambassador to Nigeria at the University of East Anglia until his death.
Tributes have poured in from former colleagues and associates. Faith Luke Chidiebere, a project management professional, described him as “dedicated and hard-working… passionate about his job and always delivering results within turnaround time.”
Similarly, former UBA audit team lead, Polycarp Ebirim, wrote in a LinkedIn recommendation that “Uchenna is a diligent and resourceful fellow, committed and dedicated to the achievement of timely and tight deadlines.”