Daniel Tobiloba Adegboyega, a Nigerian basketball player with Jacksonville State University, has been arrested in Alabama over an alleged first-degree rape case and suspended from the university’s basketball team.
The 21-year-old was taken into custody following an off-campus incident that reportedly occurred on July 29.
According to court records, Adegboyega is being held at the Calhoun County Jail without bond under Aniah’s Law, which allows judges to deny bail to suspects accused of certain violent offences.
Reports also indicate that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a hold on him because he entered the United States on a student visa in 2022. This means federal immigration authorities could take custody of him after the criminal case is concluded.
Under Alabama law, a conviction for first-degree rape carries the possibility of a life sentence.
Jacksonville State University confirmed that Adegboyega has been suspended from the basketball programme and removed his profile from the team’s official website.
The 7-foot centre joined the Gamecocks in May as a transfer student. Before moving to Jacksonville State, he played for Kennesaw State, South Florida, and California Baptist, featuring in 27 games during his college career.The case is still under investigation, and Adegboyega is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
