Jail term, deportation won’t end Brume’s career – Okowa

Athletics Federation of Nigeria president Tonobok Okowa has assured that the 27-month United States federal prison sentence handed to sprinter Godson Oghenebrume will not spell the end of his athletics career, pledging that Nigeria will welcome him back even if he is eventually deported upon completing his sentence, The PidomNigeria reports.

“It is sad but things happen in life. If he eventually gets deported, we will take him back,” Okowa told The PidomNigeria in an exclusive interview.

“We are not happy to hear it but we will not reject him. He has the talent to come back and that will not be the end of his career/”

Oghenebrume, 23, was sentenced by US Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm while on an F-1 student visa. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that the sprinter, who was admitted to the country on a non-immigrant visa, is also subject to removal or deportation upon completion of his sentence.

The case stemmed from a domestic incident on February 7, 2025, at his apartment in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. According to the US Attorney’s Office, Oghenebrume discharged a firearm during an argument with his ex-girlfriend — also the mother of his infant child — while the baby was present.

He later discharged the weapon multiple times as his ex-girlfriend fled the scene, with bullet strikes observed in the walls of the apartment complex.

When East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies arrived, Oghenebrume walked away from them, ignoring their commands, and discarded a Glock model 43X, 9mm pistol into nearby shrubs before being detained.

He was subsequently indicted and entered a guilty plea in December 2025, when he faced a potential maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The sentencing marks a significant setback for one of Nigeria’s fastest sprinters. Oghenebrume, the younger brother of long jump multiple medallist Ese Brume, carries a personal best of 9.90 seconds in the 100 metres and rose through the ranks at LSU to become a standout collegiate athlete.

He represented Nigeria as an alternate in the 4×100 metres relay at the Tokyo Olympics and won silver at the 2023 NCAA Championships as part of the LSU team that set an NCAA record in the relay.

His conviction adds his name to a growing list of Nigerian athletes to have received prison sentences in the United States in recent years, following former sprinters Raymond Ekevwo, Toluwani Adebakin, Aniekeme Etim and Uyoyo Mercy Abire, who were previously convicted in separate federal cases linked to international fraud and money laundering.