NPF extradites murder , drug trafficking fugitive to the United Kingdom

The Nigeria Police Force has successfully extradited Matthew Chukwuemeka Adebiyi to the United Kingdom to face trial for the 2018 murder of Joshua Boadu and related Class-A drug trafficking offenses.

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Abuja, has successfully facilitated the extradition of Matthew Chukwuemeka Adebiyi to the United Kingdom. Force spokesperson Anthony Placid confirmed in a statement on Thursday, April 16, 2026, that the fugitive was formally handed over to UK law enforcement officials on Tuesday, April 14, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. Adebiyi is wanted by British authorities for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Joshua Boadu, also known as “SJ,” in Bermondsey, London, on June 18, 2018, as well as the supply of crack cocaine between 2017 and 2018.

The extradition marks the conclusion of a pursuit that began in September 2024, when UK authorities issued a formal request to locate and arrest the suspect after he fled to Nigeria to evade prosecution. Adebiyi was subsequently apprehended by INTERPOL operatives in Abuja on January 23, 2025. Following his arrest, legal proceedings were initiated at the Federal High Court in Lagos. On February 16, 2026, Justice A.O. Faji granted the application for his surrender, ruling that the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) had satisfied all statutory conditions under Nigeria’s Extradition Act. “The extradition followed a formal request by United Kingdom authorities in September 2024 to locate, arrest, and extradite the fugitive over his alleged involvement in the murder of one Joshua Boadu on 18th June 2018, after which he fled to Nigeria to evade arrest,” Placid noted.

With Adebiyi now in British custody, he is expected to join the legal proceedings already concluded for his accomplices; two other individuals were previously convicted of Boadu’s murder at the Old Bailey in 2019. Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu reaffirmed the NPF’s commitment to strengthening international police cooperation, emphasizing that Nigeria will not serve as a refuge for criminals attempting to escape justice abroad. Adebiyi was remanded in custody upon his arrival in London and appeared before the Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, April 15, to be formally charged.

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