By Kanu Samuel
Nigerian sprinter Godson Oghenebrume has been sentenced to 27 months in a United States federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm while in the country on an F-1 student visa.
The sentence was handed down by US Chief Judge Shelly D.
Dick, according to a statement released on Tuesday by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana.
Federal prosecutors said Oghenebrume, a Nigerian national residing in Baton Rouge, was convicted of possessing a firearm as an alien admitted to the United States under a non-immigrant visa. He will also be subject to removal or deportation after completing his prison sentence.
According to the statement, the case stemmed from an incident on the night of 7 February 2025 at Oghenebrume’s apartment in Baton Rouge.
Prosecutors alleged that Oghenebrume was with another woman when his former girlfriend, who is the mother of his infant child, arrived with the baby. An argument broke out outside the apartment, during which Oghenebrume discharged a firearm while the child was present.
The statement said he later returned to the apartment, where the dispute continued before spilling outside again. During the altercation, Oghenebrume allegedly fired multiple shots as the woman fled, with investigators finding several bullet strikes in the walls of the apartment complex.
Prosecutors further alleged that he smashed his former girlfriend’s mobile phone and took the child before the baby was recovered with the assistance of the other woman.
When deputies from the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office arrived, Oghenebrume allegedly ignored commands to stop, walked away from officers and discarded a Glock Model 43X 9mm pistol into nearby shrubs before he was arrested.
A neighbour told investigators he heard the gunfire and that the shots left his ears ringing, according to the statement.
Oghenebrume pleaded guilty in December 2025. At the time, he faced a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release.
The conviction marks a dramatic reversal for one of Nigeria’s most promising sprinters.
Oghenebrume rose to prominence after emerging from Onoriede International School before continuing his athletics career at Louisiana State University (LSU), where he helped the university’s relay teams win national titles.
He also represented Nigeria as an alternate in the men’s 4×100 metres relay at the Tokyo Olympics and won silver at the 2023 NCAA Championships as part of LSU’s record-breaking 4x100m relay team.
The 100m sprinter has a personal best of 9.90 seconds, making him one of Nigeria’s fastest athletes.
As of Tuesday, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria had not issued an official statement on the sentencing.
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