The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a Nigerian-American, Oluwatobi Adegoke, over an alleged $320,000 vehicle import fraud and secured a court order remanding him at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos.
Adegoke was arraigned on Thursday, October 8, 2026, before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court, sitting in Ikeja, on a one-count charge bordering on stealing.
The defendant’s arrest followed an investigation by the EFCC’s Ilorin Zonal Directorate into an alleged cross-border vehicle import fraud involving more than $320,000, said to be equivalent to approximately N434.88 million.
Preliminary investigations reportedly indicated that Adegoke was allegedly a member of a United States-based syndicate that targeted unsuspecting Nigerians under the guise of purchasing and importing vehicles from America.
While residing in the US, he allegedly advertised photographs of a 2024 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG to prospective Nigerian buyers, claiming he could purchase and ship the luxury vehicle to them. Two victims allegedly paid a combined sum exceeding $320,000 in connection with the transaction.
However, the charge presented before the court stated that Adegoke, sometime in December 2024, allegedly dishonestly converted $680,000 belonging to Ikechukwu Osita Ifeabunike for his personal use. The money was reportedly transferred to the bank account of his company, Omosco Auto Sales LLC, for the purchase of a 2022 G-Wagon from a person identified as Mr Robinson.
Adegoke pleaded not guilty to the charge. Following his plea, EFCC counsel, Arazeem Adebayo, urged the court to remand him in a correctional facility and fix a date for trial.
Defence counsel, Olalekan Abiodun, who had earlier failed to stop the arraignment, subsequently asked the court to remand his client in EFCC custody pending the filing of a bail application.
Justice Abike-Fadipe rejected the request and ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
The case was adjourned until January 13, 2027, for trial.
