By Desire Emmanuel
The Nigeria Police Force, through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja, has extradited a Nigerian citizen, Matthew Chukwuemeka Adebiyi, to the United Kingdom to face charges bordering on murder and drug trafficking.
The extradition followed a request by the UK authorities in September 2024 to locate, arrest, and extradite him over his alleged involvement in the murder of one Joshua Boadu on June 18, 2018.
It was gathered that after carrying out the act, he fled to Nigeria to evade arrest.
He was also alleged to have been involved in the supply of crack cocaine, a Class-A controlled drug, between October 2017 and March 2018 in the United Kingdom.
According to the Nigeria Police in a statement on Thursday, April 16, Adebiyi was arrested on January 23, 2025 by operatives of the INTERPOL NCB Abuja, following which extradition proceedings were initiated at the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division.
On February 16, this year, Justice A.O. Faji granted the application for his extradition in accordance with the Extradition Act, Cap E25, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Pursuant to the court order and the execution of a surrender warrant by the relevant Nigerian authorities, Adebiyi was formally handed over to United Kingdom law enforcement officials on April 14 at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, for diligent prosecution.
He arrived at the United Kingdom on Wednesday afternoon and his trial is expected to begin any moment.
