Jacksonville State athlete Daniel Adegboyega is accused of first-degree rape in Alabama as immigration questions emerge following his arrest
Daniel Adegboyega, a 21-year-old Nigerian basketball player recently recruited by Jacksonville State University, has been arrested in Alabama, United States, and charged with first-degree rape by forcible compulsion, as authorities continue investigating allegations stemming from an incident reported in late July.
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The Nigerian basketball player rape charge was filed after Adegboyega was arrested in July by officers of the Jacksonville Police Department at his apartment in Jacksonville, Alabama, according to reports by 1819 News and WVTM 13.
Adegboyega is currently being held without bond at the Calhoun County Jail, while court records indicate that the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has also placed an immigration hold on him.
According to investigators, the complainant visited Adegboyega’s apartment on July 28 to watch a film.
Police investigator Andrew Swain told the court that the woman alleged Adegboyega made unwanted sexual advances about 20 minutes into the visit despite repeated requests for him to stop.
Investigators further alleged that the woman discreetly sent a text message to her roommate seeking help.
When repeated calls from the roommate went unanswered, police said Adegboyega allegedly answered one of the calls using the woman’s phone and claimed she was in the bathroom.
Concerned about the situation, the roommate contacted police and requested a welfare check.
Officers who arrived at the apartment at about 2 a.m. reportedly found the complainant visibly distressed.
According to investigators, the woman alleged that Adegboyega forcibly raped her twice during the encounter. Police also stated that clothing believed to contain bloodstains was recovered as part of the investigation.
Adegboyega has denied the allegations, maintaining that he did not use force. He has entered a plea of not guilty, and the criminal case remains before the court.
During a bond hearing, ICE agent Ty Unruh testified that Adegboyega entered the United States on an F-1 student visa that expired in 2023.
According to the agent, if granted bond in the criminal case, Adegboyega would be transferred to an immigration detention facility in Louisiana, where deportation proceedings could begin.
However, Adegboyega’s host father, Ryan Parlee, challenged that account, arguing that the player’s immigration status became complicated because of administrative issues during transfers between universities.
Parlee said Adegboyega graduated from Grand View Christian High School in Iowa in 2022 before playing collegiate basketball at the University of South Florida and later the University of California, Riverside.
According to Parlee, UC Riverside allegedly failed to complete the required immigration paperwork before Adegboyega transferred to Jacksonville State University.
Following the arrest, Jacksonville State University removed Adegboyega’s player profile from the men’s basketball team website.
The university has not publicly commented on the criminal allegations or the player’s status with the programme.
A preliminary hearing in the criminal case has been scheduled for August 31.
The case has attracted attention both in the United States and Nigeria because of Adegboyega’s emerging basketball career and the accompanying immigration issues.
While prosecutors continue to pursue the case, the allegations remain subject to judicial determination.
Also read: Nigerian-born man jailed for sexual assault in UK
Under the American criminal justice system, Adegboyega is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Victory Emmanuel is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
