By Sandra Kenneth
A 21-year-old Nigerian college basketball player, Daniel Adegboyega, is facing first-degree rape charges in Alabama following allegations of a sexual assault inside his apartment.
Adegboyega, who recently joined the Jacksonville State University men’s basketball team, was arrested in late July by the Jacksonville Police Department. He remains held without bond at the Calhoun County Jail, where United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has also placed a detainer on him.
Allegations and Arrest
According to court records and police reports, the alleged victim visited Adegboyega’s apartment on July 28 to watch a movie. Investigators stated that after Adegboyega made unwanted sexual advances, the woman secretly text-messaged her roommate for help.
When repeated follow-up calls and texts went unanswered, Adegboyega eventually answered one of the calls on the woman’s phone, telling the roommate she was in the bathroom. Concerned for her safety, the roommate contacted local authorities to request a welfare check.
Officers arriving at the scene around 2:00 a.m. found the woman visibly distressed. Investigators subsequently collected evidence—including bloodstained trousers—and took statements from both individuals. The victim alleged Adegboyega forcibly raped her twice that night. Adegboyega, who denied using force, was taken into custody and has since pleaded not guilty.
Immigration Dispute
The case has drawn additional attention due to conflicting statements regarding Adegboyega’s legal status in the United States.
During a bond hearing, ICE Agent Ty Unruh testified that Adegboyega entered the country on an F-1 student visa that expired in 2023. Unruh noted that if granted bond on the criminal charge, Adegboyega would be transferred to an immigration detention facility in Louisiana to face deportation proceedings.
However, Adegboyega’s host father, Ryan Parlee, disputed the official immigration account. Parlee stated that Adegboyega attended high school in Iowa for four years, graduating in 2022, and attributed the visa lapse to administrative issues.
According to Parlee, complications arose after a 2022 family trip to Mexico and were exacerbated when the University of California, Riverside allegedly failed to file required immigration transfer documents prior to Adegboyega’s move to Jacksonville State University this summer.
Legal and immigration proceedings remain ongoing.
