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Nigeria police dismiss tribal claims in Matthew Adebiyi's extradition to UK
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
The Nigeria Police Force has refuted claims that the extradition of Matthew Chukwuemeka Adebiyi, a suspect in murder and drug trafficking, to the United Kingdom was tribally motivated. Aliyu Giwa, the Force鈥檚 New Media Officer, clarified on X that Adebiyi's official records show he has mixed heritage, with an Igbo mother and a Yoruba father, emphasizing that "crime has no tribe, justice has no ethnicity." Giwa stated that neither the victim's death nor the extradition process had any ethnic dimension, and that Adebiyi's flight from the UK and Joshua Boadu's murder were not ethnically motivated. Adebiyi was extradited on April 14, 2026, after nearly eight years as a fugitive in Nigeria following Boadu's murder in June 2018 and facing charges of supplying crack cocaine. UK authorities submitted an extradition request in September 2024, leading to Adebiyi's arrest on January 23, 2025. Justice A. O. Faji of the Federal High Court in Lagos approved the extradition on February 16, 2026. Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reiterated the Force's commitment to international law enforcement cooperation, stating that Nigeria is not a refuge for fugitives.
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