The USS Iwo Jima, seen docked in Puerto Rico in January. Credit: BBCA U.S. Marine of Nigerian descent, Chukwuemeka Oforah, has been declared dead following a tragic incident in which he fell overboard from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean Sea. His death was announced on Wednesday and remains under investigation by the military, according to a BBC report on Thursday. Oforah, assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, was deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) as part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in October 2023 and graduated from Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in February 2024.

Source: Punch February 13, 2026 13:23 UTC