EFCC arraigns Nigerian-American for alleged $320, 000 vehicle import fraud

The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, October 8, 2026, arraigned a Nigerian-American, Oluwatobi Adegoke, before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court, Lagos State, being in Ikeja, on a one-count charge verging on taking.

Adegoke’s journey to the dock began in July 2026 when he was apprehended by operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Directorate for a supposed cross-border automobile import scams including more than $320,000, around N434.88 million.

Initial examinations exposed that the offender supposedly came from a distribute based in the United States that specialised in defrauding unwary Nigerians under the guise of acquiring and importing automobiles from the United States.

Additional examination exposed that while living in the United States, Adegoke presumably marketed and distributed pictures of a 2024 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG to potential purchasers in Nigeria, declaring that he might acquire and deliver the high-end lorry to them. The examination even more developed that 2 victims presumably paid a combined amount of more than $320,000 (over N434.88 million) in connection with the deal.

The charge checks out:

Oluwatobi Adegoke at some point in December, 2024 at Lagos within the Ikeja judicial department, dishonestly transformed to your own usage, the amount of ($680000) residential or commercial property of Ikechukwu Osita Ifeabunike, being cash moved to the savings account of your business Omosco Auto Sales LLC for purchase of 2022 G Wagon from Mr Robinson”

The accused pleaded innocent to the charge.

Following his plea, EFCC counsel, Arazeem Adebayo, advised the court to repair a date for trial and remand the accused in a Correctional Centre.

Defence counsel, Olalekan Abiodun, who had actually previously been overthrown on his objection to the arraignment of the accused, was once again overthrown when he used that the offender be remanded at EFCC custody pending the filing of his bail application.

Justice Abike-Fadipe bought that Adegoke be remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till January 13, 2027, for trial.