A Nigerian college basketball player, Daniel Tobiloba Adegboyega, has been arrested in the United States on a first-degree rape allegation and suspended indefinitely from the Jacksonville State University men’s basketball team while legal proceedings continue.
Adegboyega, 21, was arrested in Alabama and is currently being held at the Calhoun County Jail, where he is awaiting a bond hearing, according to court records. Jail records also indicate that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed an immigration hold on him.
According to an arrest warrant, the alleged incident occurred on Wednesday. Prosecutors allege that Adegboyega engaged in sexual intercourse with the complainant “by forcible compulsion,” an offence under Alabama state law.
Following the arrest, Jacksonville State University confirmed that the player has been suspended from all basketball activities pending the outcome of the case.
Adegboyega joined Jacksonville State in May 2026 after transferring from California Baptist University, where he played during the 2025/26 season. Before that, the seven-foot centre spent two seasons at the University of South Florida and initially signed with Kennesaw State University in 2022 after attending Grand View Christian High School in Des Moines, Iowa.
Throughout his collegiate career, Adegboyega has featured in 27 games, making five starts while averaging 0.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.
The case remains under investigation, and no trial date has been announced. Under the U.S. legal system, the rape charge is an allegation, and Adegboyega is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Authorities have not released further details about the investigation, and it remains unclear whether additional charges or legal proceedings will follow.
