Nigerians in UK Seek Funds to Repatriate Slain Student: Uchenna Okirie

By: Abudu Olalekan

The phone buzzes. A message from Norwich. “Uche is gone.” Stunned silence. Then, action. The Nigerian community in the UK didn’t wait. They started a GoFundMe. Fast.

Uchenna Okirie, 27, was stabbed in his apartment. A home he shared with friends. A place he called a refuge for others. The alleged killer? A 27-year-old Congolese national, Benjamin Katabana. Charged. But that doesn’t bring Uche back.

His friends call him “Common Man.” A name that fits. He was the guy who showed up. Always.

The fundraiser title says it all: “Rest in Peace, Uche: Help Us Return Him to His Family.” The goal is £7,000. So far, £1,149 from 67 donors. It’s a start. But the need is urgent.

Uche wasn’t just a student. He was a lifeline. He completed his MSc in Development Economics at the University of East Anglia in 2022. But his real degree was in kindness.

He served as an international student ambassador. His mission? Making sure no one felt lost.

“When friends arrived in the UK with nowhere to stay, he opened his home without hesitation,” the GoFundMe page reads. The words are simple. The impact was huge.

Need a bank account? Uche helped. Looking for a job? Uche had tips. Navigating a new country? Uche was the guide.

“He was a remarkable soul—steady, genuine, and deeply compassionate,” his friends wrote. His calmness was a balm. His honesty, a rare gift.

This wasn’t a grand gesture. It was a quiet habit. Placing others’ comfort above his own. A unique smile. A quiet generosity.

He left behind a network. Coursemates. Colleagues. Friends who feel a hole where he used to be.

Now, they are fighting to bring him home. To Nigeria. To his family. He had no immediate family in the UK. The community is his family now.

“This is our way of giving back to someone who gave so freely of himself,” the appeal states. Every pound matters. Every share. Every prayer.

The money will cover the cost of transporting his body. And funeral arrangements. A final act of service for a man who served so well.

The tragedy is stark. A life full of promise, cut short. In his own home. The shockwave reached beyond Norwich. It resonated with the entire Nigerian diaspora.

But in the face of loss, the community is choosing love. Choosing action. Choosing to honour Uche’s legacy by helping his family find peace.

No contribution is too small. That’s what they say. Because Uche believed no help was too small either.

He was there for them. Now, they are there for him.