A UK-based Nigerian man has been identified as the victim of a fatal stabbing inside a student accommodation block in Norwich.
The deceased, Uchenna ‘Uche’ Okirie, believed to be in his 30s, was known as a British Red Cross volunteer and a student connected to the University of East Anglia (UEA).
Okirie was thought to be a current or former postgraduate student at UEA’s School of International Development.
He published a research paper last year under the university’s name examining the impact of climate change on health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa.
However, the university said initial checks did not locate his student record, though they confirmed that a small number of their students reside in the accommodation.
Emergency services were called to Somerleyton House at about 5 a.m. on Saturday. On arrival, officers and paramedics found Okirie with a stab wound to the chest. Despite efforts to resuscitate him, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police subsequently launched a murder investigation and arrested 27-year-old Congolese national Benjamin Katabana.
Residents of Somerleyton House said they were jolted awake by a fire alarm early that morning. One neighbour told the Eastern Daily Press that they saw people outside in their pyjamas and noticed several police cars before any ambulance arrived, immediately sensing that something serious had happened.
Okirie’s social media activity shows he has taken part in various volunteer projects with the British Red Cross and also served as an international student ambassador for Nigeria.
In a statement, a UEA spokesperson said the university had contacted all known students living in Somerleyton House and would continue to offer them full support during the difficult period following the tragedy.
