The Nigeria Police Force has extradited Matthew Chukwuemeka Adebiyi to the United Kingdom to face charges related to murder and drug trafficking.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Okon Placid, on April 16, 2026.
The extradition was carried out through the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) National Central Bureau in Abuja, following a formal request from UK authorities.
The police said the extradition followed a request by UK authorities in September 2024 to locate, arrest, and surrender the suspect over his alleged involvement in the murder of Joshua Boadu in June 2018.
According to the statement, Adebiyi fled to Nigeria after the incident to evade arrest and was also wanted for allegedly supplying crack cocaine, a Class-A controlled drug, in the UK between October 2017 and March 2018.
Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, said the development reflects the Force’s commitment to strengthening international police collaboration.
Adebiyi was subsequently handed over to UK law enforcement authorities on April 14, 2026, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport for prosecution.
Authorities disclosed that the victim, 23-year-old Joshua Boadu, popularly known as SJ, was stabbed on Linsey Street in Bermondsey, London, on June 11, 2018.
He was taken to the hospital in critical condition with injuries to his chest, neck, and arm, and died ten days later.
Following his extradition, Adebiyi has been charged with murder and remanded in custody. He is expected to appear before the Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court.
The suspect was earlier arrested on January 23, 2025, by operatives of INTERPOL NCB Abuja, after which extradition proceedings were initiated at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
On February 16, 2026, Justice A.O. Faji granted the application for extradition in line with Nigeria’s Extradition Act.
The Nigeria Police Force has, in recent years, intensified collaboration with international law enforcement agencies, particularly through INTERPOL, to track and arrest suspects linked to crimes.
In one case, an INTERPOL-backed operation across 16 African countries, including Nigeria, led to the arrest of 651 suspects and recovery of over $4.3 million linked to cybercrime and online fraud.
Similarly, another INTERPOL-led operation resulted in over 300 arrests across seven African countries, including 130 suspects in Nigeria, tied to investment scams, mobile banking fraud, and digital financial crimes.
In addition, Nigerian police have also, in a joint operation, arrested a Canadian and Nigerian accused of investment fraud worth over $210,000 and N452 million, highlighting the growing scale of transnational crime investigations.