NDLEA Loses Cross River Commander 1 Month After Deployment

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the sudden death of its Cross River State Commander, CN Ogbonna Maurice Uzoma.

The report of his death was brought to the attention of the chairman/chief executive officer of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) in Maiduguri, Borno State, where he was attending a retreat for Heads of Agencies, organised by the Federal Ministry of Justice.

The late Commander was recently appointed and posted to take over leadership of the Cross River State Command of the Agency. He resumed on August 18, 2025, and took a temporary accommodation in a hotel in Calabar pending when he settles into a befitting accommodation.

A statement signed by NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in Abuja, on Friday, said CN Ogbonna had been up and doing at his new Command and was billed to lead his officers on some scheduled engagements at 10am on Thursday September 18, 2025, “but when his officers didn’t hear from him by 9am, they went to his hotel room in company of the hotel staff while several knocks at his door and calls to his telephone line went unanswered.

“Attempts by the hotel staff to open or force the door open from outside failed, after which one of the hotel attendants had to go through the ceiling aperture to enter the room and open the door from inside, where they found the Commander’s lifeless body.

“The Police Command in the state was promptly alerted after which the Commissioner of Police personally visited the scene while the police continue with investigation of the cause of death.

“To assist police investigation, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency has since directed the Zonal Commander, Zone 14 Command of NDLEA, ACGN Mathew Ewah to relocate to Calabar.”

He added that while commiserating with the family of the deceased senior officer, Marwa said the Agency stands with the family in this trying moment, and prayed that God will comfort them and grant the departed eternal rest.