By Ademuyiwa Balikis
Shock have gripped the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following the sudden death of its newly posted Cross River State Commander, Chief Narcotics Officer (CNO) Ogbonna Maurice Uzoma, who was discovered lifeless in his Calabar hotel room.
In a statement on Friday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed that Uzoma, who only assumed duty on August 18, 2025, died in the early hours of Thursday, September 18. He had been staying in a hotel pending official accommodation.
Uzoma was scheduled to lead his officers for an operational assignment at 10:00 a.m. that morning. When he failed to report by 9:00 a.m., his officers, together with hotel staff, went to his room. After repeated knocks and unanswered phone calls, efforts to force the door open failed. A hotel attendant eventually entered through the ceiling aperture, unlocked the door from inside, and discovered the commander’s lifeless body.
The Cross River State Police Command was promptly alerted, with the Commissioner of Police personally visiting the scene. The cause of death has not yet been determined, as investigations continue.
To support the investigation, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), directed the Zonal Commander of Zone 14, ACGN Mathew Ewah, to relocate to Calabar and work with the police.
Marwa described the development as a painful loss to the agency, saying, “The Agency stands with the family in this trying moment, and we pray that God will comfort them and grant the departed eternal rest.”
Despite his brief tenure, Uzoma was already actively engaging his officers and strengthening NDLEA’s operations in Cross River State, a region that has been a major focus in the fight against drug trafficking.
