A 21-year-old Nigerian-born U.S. Marine, Lance Cpl. Chukwuemeka E. Oforah, has been declared dead after falling overboard from the USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean.
The United States Marine Corps confirmed that Oforah, a Florida native of Nigerian descent, fell from the vessel on February 7, 2026.
Despite an intensive three-day search-and-rescue operation involving five ships and 10 aircraft, his body was not recovered. The search was officially called off on February 10, and he was pronounced dead.
Military officials have not disclosed the circumstances surrounding the fall, noting that the incident remains under formal investigation.
Col. Tom Trimble, commanding officer of the Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), said the loss has deeply affected the unit.
“He will be profoundly missed, and his dedicated service will not be forgotten.”
Oforah was supporting Operation Southern Spear, a mission targeting drug-trafficking networks in parts of the Caribbean and Latin America.
His death has resonated within military circles and the Nigerian diaspora in the United States, highlighting the life of a young man with Nigerian roots who died while serving abroad.
