By Jane Okafor, Abuja The Nigeria Police Force has firmly rejected attempts to politicise or ethnicise the extradition of suspected murderer and drug trafficker, Matthew Chukwuemeka Adebiyi, to the United Kingdom, insisting the case is purely about justice and accountability. In a statement posted on X on Friday, the Force’s New Media Officer, Aliyu Giwa, clarified that official records show Adebiyi is of mixed heritage—born to an Igbo mother and a Yoruba father—debunking claims framing the case along tribal lines. “Crime has no tribe, justice has no ethnicity,” Giwa stated. “Matthew Chukwuemeka Adebiyi’s international passport and official records confirm his mixed background. Portraying murder and drug trafficking charges as tribal issues is not only misleading but also dangerous,” he added. He emphasised that neither the killing of Joshua Boadu nor the extradition process had any ethnic undertone. “Matthew did not flee the UK because of his ethnicity. Joshua Boadu’s murder was not driven by ethnic considerations. The Nigeria Police Force did not act on the basis of ethnicity in facilitating his extradition. What we have here is a clear case of a fugitive brought to justice,” he said. Giwa stressed that legal processes must remain insulated from ethnic sentiments, describing the case as straightforward: “a fugitive, a valid court order, and accountability.” Adebiyi was extradited on April 14, 2026, nearly eight years after he allegedly fled to Nigeria following Boadu’s murder in the UK in June 2018. He is also accused of supplying crack cocaine between October 2017 and March 2018. According to the police, the suspect had believed distance would shield him from justice. “He fled to Nigeria, thinking he would be beyond reach. He was mistaken,” Giwa noted in an earlier post. The extradition process began after UK authorities filed a formal request through INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau in Abuja in September 2024. Adebiyi was arrested on January 23, 2025, and arraigned for extradition proceedings at the Federal High Court in Lagos. On February 16, 2026, Justice A. O. Faji granted the extradition order, paving the way for his transfer to UK authorities at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Reflecting on the development, Giwa highlighted the long wait endured by the victim’s family. “Joshua Boadu’s family waited nearly eight years for justice. Today, that wait has not been in vain,” he said. The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reaffirmed the Force’s stance on international collaboration, declaring that Nigeria will not serve as a safe haven for fugitives. “Nigeria is not a hiding place for criminals. No matter the distance or the time that has passed, we will continue to work with global partners to ensure justice is served,” Disu stated.
