EFCC Drags Nigerian-American to Court Over Alleged N434.88m Vehicle Import Fraud
A Nigerian-American, Oluwatobi Adegoke, has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged $320,000 vehicle import fraud said to have targeted unsuspecting Nigerians.
Adegoke was arraigned before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on a one-count charge bordering on alleged stealing, the EFCC said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the Commission, the defendant was arrested by operatives of its Ilorin Zonal Directorate in July 2026 following investigations into an alleged cross-border vehicle import scam involving more than $320,000 (about N434.88 million).
The anti-graft agency alleged that Adegoke was part of a syndicate based in the United States that specialised in defrauding Nigerians by promising to purchase and ship luxury vehicles from America.
The EFCC further alleged that while living in the United States, the defendant advertised a 2024 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, circulated its photographs to prospective buyers in Nigeria, and claimed he could purchase and export the vehicle on their behalf.
Investigators said two victims allegedly paid a combined sum of more than $320,000 for the transaction, but the vehicle was never delivered.
The charge before the court alleged that Adegoke dishonestly converted funds transferred into the account of his company, Omosco Auto Sales LLC, for the purchase of a 2022 G-Wagon belonging to Ikechukwu Osita Ifeabunike.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Following the plea, EFCC counsel, Arazeem Adebayo, asked the court to fix a trial date and remand the defendant in a correctional facility.
Defence counsel, Olalekan Abiodun, urged the court to allow Adegoke remain in EFCC custody pending the filing of his bail application, but the request was rejected.
Justice Abike-Fadipe subsequently ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre and adjourned the case until January 13, 2027, for the commencement of trial.