The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has officially reported the sudden death of its Cross River State Commander, CN Ogbonna Maurice Uzoma, in a hotel room in Calabar, the capital city.
Uzoma, who assumed duty on August 18, 2025, had only recently taken charge of the Cross River State Command.
Police and NDLEA have commenced investigations into the incident.
Pending permanent accommodation, he was staying in the hotel in Calabar.
According to Director of Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, in a Friday statement, the late commander was scheduled to lead officers for engagements at 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 18, 2025.
When they could not reach him by 9 a.m., his officers, accompanied by hotel staff, visited his room.
Amidst repeated knocks and phone calls, there was no response.
“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,” Babafemi said.
Babafemi said the Cross River State Police Command was immediately alerted, with the Commissioner of Police personally visiting the scene.
“The Police Command in the state was promptly alerted after which the Commissioner of Police personally visited the scene while the police continued with investigation of the cause of death,” Babafemi said.
He said that to support the probe, the “Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency (General Buba Marwa) has since directed the Zonal Commander, Zone 14 Command of NDLEA, ACGN Mathew Ewah to relocate to Calabar.
“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.”
