EFCC takes Nigerian-American to special offences court over alleged vehicle Import Fraud

By Stephen Oladele 

The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has charged a Nigerian-American, Oluwatobi Adegoke to court over an alleged fraud in vehicle import dealings.

The accused was  on Thursday, arraigned before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court, Lagos State, sitting in Ikeja, on a one-count charge bordering on stealing.

He had been arrested  in July 2026 by operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Directorate  of the EFCC over an alleged cross-border vehicle import fraud involving more than $320,000, approximately N434.88 million.

The EFCC said its Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused allegedly belonged to a syndicate based in the United States that specialised in defrauding unsuspecting Nigerians under the guise of purchasing and importing vehicles from the US.

It said further investigation revealed that while residing in the United States, Adegoke allegedly advertised and circulated photographs of a 2024 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG to prospective buyers in Nigeria, claiming that he could purchase and ship the luxury vehicle to them. 

Two victims, according to the anti-graft agency  allegedly paid a combined sum of more than $320,000 (over N434.88 million) to the accused in connection with the transaction.

He was charged with the offence of

“stealing contrary to section 278(1)(b) and 285 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”

Particulars of the Offence  reads:

“Oluwatobi Adegoke sometime in December, 2024 at Lagos within the Ikeja judicial division, dishonestly converted to your own use, the sum of ($680000) property of Ikechukwu Osita Ifeabunike,  being money transferred to the bank account of your company Omosco Auto Sales LLC for purchase of 2022 G Wagoon from Mr Robinson”

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Following his plea, EFCC counsel, Arazeem Adebayo, urged the court to fix a date for trial and remand the accused. 

The defence counsel, Olalekan Abiodun, who had earlier been overruled on his objection to the arraignment of the defendant, was again overruled when he  applied that the defendant be remanded at EFCC custody pending the filing of his bail application.

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