By Sunday Ameh
A 21-year-old Nigerian basketball player, Daniel Tobiloba Adegboyega, has been arrested in the United States over an allegation of first-degree rape.
Adegboyega, who plays for Jacksonville State University’s men’s basketball team, was taken into custody and is currently being held at the Calhoun County Jail pending a bond hearing. Jail records also indicate that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed an immigration hold on him.
According to court documents, the charge is linked to an incident alleged to have occurred on July 29, 2026. Investigators claim Adegboyega engaged in sexual intercourse with the complainant “by forcible compulsion,” an offence classified as first-degree rape under Alabama law.
The athlete joined Jacksonville State in May after spending the previous season at the University of California, Riverside. He had earlier played for the University of South Florida and signed with Kennesaw State in 2022, although he did not feature for the program.
Following his arrest, Jacksonville State University announced that Adegboyega has been suspended indefinitely from the men’s basketball team and that his profile has been removed from the university’s athletics website.
In a statement, the university said it was aware of the arrest and confirmed the student’s suspension, adding that the alleged incident did not occur on campus and remains under investigation by the Jacksonville Police Department.
The allegations have not been proven in court, and Adegboyega is presumed innocent unless and until found guilty. Under Alabama law, a conviction for first-degree rape carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Leave a Reply