NDLEA commander found dead in hotel

The Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Cross River State, Mr. Morrison Ogbonna, has been confirmed dead after being discovered in a hotel room in Calabar.

His body was reportedly found on Thursday morning, September 18, 2025, by officers who had gone to pick him up for an official engagement.

According to a source, efforts to reach Ogbonna proved unsuccessful after repeated knocks on his hotel door, prompting the involvement of the management.“When the door was eventually opened, he was found dead,” the source said.

Ogbonna, who assumed duty in Cross River last month following the redeployment of Mrs. Rachel Umebuali, had only recently taken charge of the command.

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Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Cross River, SP Irene Ugbo-Obase, said: “I can confirm to you that it is true, but what led to the death is what I can’t readily tell you.”

His sudden death comes amid rising concerns over safety in Calabar, where several bodies have been discovered in recent weeks. They include a headless teenager behind the Cross River Basin Authority in Ikot Effanga Mkpa, an unidentified corpse at the entrance of the NYSC Secretariat along Murtala Mohammed Highway, and another body found at Marian.

(GUARDIAN)