By Emmanuel Okogba
Nigerian sprinter Godson Oghenebrume, 23, has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison after being convicted for possession of a firearm while admitted to the United States on a non-immigrant F-1 student visa.
U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick handed down the sentence in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Oghenebrume will also be subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completion of his prison term.
Announcing the sentence, United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall stated that on February 7, 2025, Oghenebrume possessed a Glock model 43X, 9mm pistol while on an F-1 student visa.
According to court documents, the incident occurred at his apartment complex in Baton Rouge. Oghenebrume’s ex-girlfriend, who is the mother of his infant child, arrived at the apartment with the baby. Oghenebrume was inside with another young woman at the time.
An argument ensued outside the apartment, during which Oghenebrume allegedly discharged the firearm multiple times while the baby was present. The ex-girlfriend later opened the apartment door, leading to another argument that spilled outside, where Oghenebrume allegedly fired the gun again as she fled.
Multiple bullet strikes were found in the walls of the apartment complex. Oghenebrume reportedly smashed his ex-girlfriend’s phone and temporarily took the baby before the other woman helped retrieve the child.
When East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies arrived, Oghenebrume walked away, ignored their commands, and discarded the pistol into some shrubs. He was detained shortly after.
In a post-Miranda interview, Oghenebrume told detectives he fired the gun to scare his ex-girlfriend away.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office.
