Just two years ago, Godson Oghenebrume was one of the fastest-rising names in the track and field world! A personal best of 9.90 seconds in the 100 meters, 4 SEC titles, and a spot at the Paris Olympics spelled greatness for the 23-year-old Nigerian. Today, that future looks far different.

On June 30, U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that the former LSU standout had been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison after being convicted of possessing a firearm while in the United States on an F-1 student visa, according to ThisDayLive. Under U.S. federal law, most non-immigrant visa holders are prohibited from possessing firearms unless they qualify for specific exceptions.

The case is a result of an incident on Feb. 7, 2025, at an apartment building in Baton Rouge. The records of the court say Oghenebrume had a conflict with his former girlfriend, who is now the mother of his baby.

During the dispute, authorities say the situation escalated, and multiple shots were fired from a handgun while the woman and child were nearby. Investigators also claimed Oghenebrume damaged the woman’s cellphone and, for a short period, took the baby before it was safely retrieved by another woman in the apartment.

Law enforcement officers later discovered several bullet strikes in the walls of the apartment complex. According to court documents, Oghenebrume admitted that he fired the weapon in an effort to “scare her (former girlfriend) away.”

The litigation took more than a year. In December 2025, Oghenebrume pled guilty to the federal firearm charge. And later, the court sentenced him to prison for 27 months. Oghenebrume will also face immigration proceedings, and he will probably be deported from the U.S. following his jail time.

The legal issues come as a setback to an athlete seen as one of the brightest sprint talents in both college and Nigerian track and field up until now.

Godson Oghenebrume became one of Nigeria’s fastest sprinters

Born in Ughelli, Oghenebrume grew up in a family connected to athletics. His older sister, Ese Brume, is an Olympic bronze medalist in the long jump. Another sister, Karo Brume, is also a sprinter. Their mother, Sally Abaka Oghenebrume, was a multi-sport athlete who competed in events including the 100 meters, long jump, triple jump, and handball during her younger years.

His athletic career started at Onoriede International School, where he began to compete and quickly established a reputation. In 2021, his skill could no longer be ignored as he qualified for the Nigerian Olympic Trials with a time of 10.13 seconds. The performance earned him a spot as an alternate for the Nigerian relay team ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

A year later, his career got off to a flying start when he took up an athletic scholarship to Louisiana State University. The shift opened up opportunities for him to receive world-class coaching and competition. In 2023, he finally had a breakthrough season.

For the first time, Oghenebrume broke a 10-second barrier as a collegiate sprinter after clocking a wind-aided 9.97-second time before producing a 9.90-second time at the NCAA Championships. By 2024, he had captured the SEC 100 meter title, four USTFCCCA First Team All-American honors, an NCAA relay championship, and helped Nigeria win silver in the 4×100 meter relay at the African Championships.

His performances have also secured him an Olympic Games spot for Nigeria in Paris 2024. In the end, though, he was cut short by injury and couldn’t compete.

Now, instead of getting ready for future international championships, the former LSU star is left with a question about where his life and career will continue after serving his prison sentence.