Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
A 21-year-old Nigerian-born United States Marine, Lance Cpl. Chukwuemeka E. Oforah, has died after crash landing overboard from a U.S. Navy vessel in the Caribbean.
This was confirmed by the US military.
The United States Marine Corps revealed that Oforah, a Florida native of Nigerian descent, fell from the USS Iwo Jima on February 7.
Despite what officials described as an intensive search-and-rescue effort lasting three days and involving five ships and 10 aircraft, Oforah was not recovered.
The military formally called off the search on February 10 and pronounced him dead.
Although the death was publicly announced on Wednesday, authorities have yet to disclose the specific circumstances surrounding the fall. The incident remains under formal military investigation.
“The loss of Lance Cpl. Oforah is deeply felt across the entire Navy-Marine Corps team,” said Col. Tom Trimble, commanding officer of the Marine Expeditionary Unit (SOC). “He will be profoundly missed, and his dedicated service will not be forgotten,” he was quoted as saying.
Oforah was supporting Operation Southern Spear, a mission U.S. officials say has reshaped the geopolitical balance in parts of the Caribbean and Latin America.
Since September, the operation has conducted 38 lethal strikes on suspected drug vessels. It also facilitated the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in early January.
The USS Iwo Jima, where Oforah was stationed, was reportedly used to transport Maduro following the U.S. raid.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has defended the operation’s tactics, stating that its goal is to remove “narco-terrorists” and protect the United States from the influx of illegal drugs.
Oforah’s death has sent shockwaves through military circles and the Nigerian diaspora community in the United States.
At 21, he represented a new generation of young Nigerians making their mark abroad this time in uniform, in service of a foreign flag but with roots firmly tied to home.
As investigations continue, the Marine Corps has not indicated whether foul play is suspected or whether adverse weather or operational conditions may have played a role.
For now, the focus remains on honouring a young Marine whose life ended at sea, far from shore and far too soon.
