Amid the backlash that trailed the Nigerian Police Force after it released a statement that included “Chukuemeka” as name of a murder suspect, the UK authorities have confirmed that the name of the suspect ‘Chukuemeka’.
According to a report from UK police, as obtained by ENigeria Newspaper, it is now confirmed that the name ‘Chukuemeka’ is indeed is part of the names of the murder suspect that were published by the Nigerian Police Force.
Who is the murder suspect Matthew Chukuemeka Adebiyi?
On April 16, 2026, the Nigerian Police Force announced that Matthew was wanted by the UK authorities in relation to the alleged murder of Joshua Boadu in the UK on June 18, 2018. Between October 2017 and March 2018, he was also charged with being involved in the supply of crack cocaine, a class-A restricted substance.
The extradition was made possible by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja after a formal request from UK authorities in September 2024, according to a statement released on April 16 by Force spokesperson Anthony Placid, a deputy commissioner of police.
According to Mr. Placid, Nigeria’s police spokesperson, the suspect went to Nigeria following the alleged offenses in order to avoid being arrested, but INTERPOL agents in Abuja captured him on January 23, 2025.
Mr. Placid also said that, on April 14, Mr. Adebiyi was turned over to UK law enforcement.
“Pursuant to the court order and the execution of a surrender warrant by the relevant Nigerian authorities, the fugitive was formally handed over to United Kingdom law enforcement officials on 14th April 2026 at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, for diligent prosecution,” Mr Placid stated.
Hoewever, in the statement, the NPF headlined the culprit as “Matthew Chukuemeka Adebiyi” in the statement made public by Placid.
Afterwards, many Nigerians on X denounced the police of “ethnic bigotry” because the murder suspect name included “Chukuemeka,” which caused uproar.
They claimed that the name was added to identify the suspect as belonging to the southeast geopolitical zone.
NPF clear name of murder suspect Matthew Chukuemeka Adebiyi
In a post on X on Friday, Aliyu Giwa, the Force’s New Media Officer, has clarified that Adebiyi is of mixed ancestry, with an Igbo mother and a Yoruba father, according to official records.
“Crime has no tribe, justice has no ethnicity. Following Matthew Chukuemeka Adebiyi’s extradition to the UK, his international passport and official records confirm that his mother is Igbo and his father is Yoruba.
“Portraying murder and drug trafficking charges as tribal issues is both inaccurate and potentially harmful.
“Matthew did not flee the UK because of his ethnicity. Joshua Boadu’s murder was not motivated by ethnic factors. The Nigeria Police Force did not facilitate this extradition on the basis of ethnicity. Justice has been served.
“Tribal identity should not influence legal proceedings. In this case, the facts are clear: a fugitive, a court order, and accountability,” Giwa stated.
