The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has been thrown into mourning following the sudden death of its Cross River State Commander, Chief Narcotics Officer Ogbonna Uzoma.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the development in a statement on Friday.
According to him, Uzoma, who only assumed duty as the state commander on August 18, 2025, was found dead in his hotel room in Calabar on Thursday after he failed to show up for official engagements.
“CN Ogbonna had been up and doing at his new Command and was billed to lead his officers on some scheduled engagements at 10 a.m.
on Thursday, September 18, 2025. But when his officers didn’t hear from him by 9 a.m., they went to his hotel room in company with the hotel staff. Several knocks at his door and calls to his telephone line went unanswered,” Babafemi said.
He explained that after repeated efforts to open the door failed, one of the hotel attendants was forced to enter the room through the ceiling aperture and unlock it from inside, only for them to discover the commander’s lifeless body.
The cause of Uzoma’s death has not yet been determined. The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive has directed the Zonal Commander to move to Cross River to assist with police investigations.
Uzoma’s tenure in Cross River was brief but active. Since his assumption of duty in mid-August, he had reportedly shown strong commitment to operational leadership and strategic planning with his officers.
The agency has expressed condolences to his family, colleagues, and loved ones, while assuring that a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death will be conducted.
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