US Judge Slams Nigerian Athlete Godson Oghenebrume with 27-Month Jail Term

In a dramatic turn of events, a Nigerian sprinter, Godson Oghenebrume, has been handed a 27-month prison sentence in the United States for unlawfully possessing a firearm. This development was announced by the United States Attorney, Kurt L. Wall, in a statement released on June 30, 2026, by the Department of Justice. Oghenebrume, who is 23 years old and a former track athlete at Louisiana State University, was found guilty of possessing a firearm while on a non-immigrant visa in the United States. The incident that led to his arrest occurred on February 7, 2025, when Oghenebrume got into an argument with his ex-girlfriend, who is the mother of his child, at his apartment in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. During the altercation, Oghenebrume discharged a Glock model 43X, 9mm pistol, with the baby present. The argument escalated, and Oghenebrume fired the gun multiple times as his ex-girlfriend fled the scene. The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's deputies were called to the apartment complex, where they found multiple bullet strikes on the walls. Oghenebrume was detained after he ignored the deputies' commands and discarded the gun. In a post-Miranda interview, Oghenebrume claimed he had fired the gun to scare his ex-girlfriend away. The U.S. Attorney, Kurt L. Wall, commended the efforts of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office in handling the case. Oghenebrume's sentence also includes the possibility of removal or deportation from the United States after serving his prison term. The case is part of the Operation Take Back America initiative, a nationwide effort to combat illegal immigration, cartels, and violent crime.