- Daniel Adegboyega, 21, allegedly carried out the assault on July 28 assault in his Alabama apartment.
- An expired student visa surfaced at bond hearing, with possible ICE deportation.
- A preliminary hearing is set for August 31.
A Nigerian-born college basketball player in the United States, Daniel Adegboyega, has been charged with first-degree rape after an incident at his apartment in Alabama.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that Adegboyega, 21, plays for Jacksonville State University. Police say the alleged rape happened on the night of July 28, when a woman visited his apartment in Jacksonville, Alabama, to watch a movie.
EDITOR’S PICKS
According to investigators, the woman said Adegboyega began making sexual advances about 20 minutes into the movie, even after she asked him to stop. She managed to text her roommate about what was happening. When the roommate could not reach her by phone or text, she called again, and Adegboyega picked up the call and claimed the woman was in the bathroom.
Worried for her safety, the roommate called the Jacksonville Police Department for a welfare check. Officers arrived at the apartment around 2 a.m. and found the woman visibly shaken. Police say they collected evidence, including her trousers, which had bloodstains.
The woman told police that Adegboyega raped her twice that night. He was arrested shortly after and has denied using force.
Adegboyega has since appeared in court for a bond hearing. During the hearing, an ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agent testified that his student visa had expired in 2023. The agent said that if he is granted bond, he will be moved to an immigration detention centre in Louisiana, where he would face a judge and could be deported.
However, Adegboyega’s host father in the US, Ryan Parlee, pushed back against that account in court. He said Adegboyega attended high school in Iowa for four years and never returned to Nigeria after moving to the US. Parlee explained that a 2022 family trip to Mexico led to the immigration paperwork issue, and that the University of California, Riverside, where Adegboyega played before transferring to Jacksonville State, failed to file the correct documents to keep his visa valid.
Adegboyega began his US college basketball career at the University of South Florida before moving to UC Riverside, and then to Jacksonville State ahead of the new season.
He is currently held at the Calhoun County Jail without bond, under Aniah’s Law, an Alabama law that allows judges to deny bond to persons accused of certain violent crimes.
Jacksonville State University has suspended him from the men’s basketball team. Assistant Athletic Director Donnie Smith said in a statement that the university is aware of the arrest and has taken action, but noted that the alleged incident did not happen on campus and remains under investigation by the Jacksonville Police Department.
A preliminary hearing in the criminal case is scheduled for August 31.
FURTHER READING
This is a valuable lesson for our young people in pursuit of greener pastures. When opportunity comes your way, stay focused, remain disciplined, and be discerning. Success is not just about opportunities, it is also about the choices you make along the way.
Click to watch the video of the week below:
