Nigeria Extradites Wanted Man to UK Over 2018 Murder of Trainee Engineer

Nigeria Extradites Wanted Man to UK Over 2018 Murder of Trainee Engineer

  • Matthew Adebiyi, a 25-year-old suspect, was extradited from Nigeria to the United Kingdom and remanded over the 2018 killing of trainee engineer Joshua Boadu
  • The Old Bailey had previously convicted two individuals for the murder, with sentences handed down in September 2019 for their roles in the attack
  • The victim’s family and father had described the killing as senseless and called for an end to knife crime in London after his death

A 25-year-old man has been extradited from Nigeria to the United Kingdom in connection with the 2018 killing of a trainee engineer in south-east London.

Matthew Adebiyi arrived in London on Wednesday, April 15, where he was remanded in custody over the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Joshua Boadu.

Matthew Adebiyi, 25, arrives in the UK after being sent from Nigeria to face charges tied to the 2018 murder of Joshua Boadu.
A 25-year-old suspect, Matthew Adebiyi, is transferred from Nigeria to the UK over alleged involvement in the 2018 murder of Joshua Boadu. Photo credit: @PoliceNG/Ben Montgomery
Source: UGC

Boadu, popularly known as SJ, was attacked in broad daylight on Linsey Street in Bermondsey on June 11, 2018.

In a post made by the Nigerian Police via X, the extradition was done through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja, adding that it successfully facilitated the extradition of one Matthew Chukwuemeka Adebiyi to the United Kingdom to face charges bordering on murder and drug trafficklng.

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Victim died days after sustaining critical injuries

Following the attack, Boadu was rushed to hospital with serious injuries to his chest, neck and arm. He later suffered a heart attack while being transported and was placed on life support, which was withdrawn ten days later.

Adebiyi has since been remanded in custody and was scheduled to appear before Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court in the UK.

2 others previously convicted over killing

The case had earlier resulted in convictions, with two individuals, a 27-year-old man and a 16-year-old from Southwark, sentenced at the Old Bailey in September 2019 for their roles in the killing.

In a statement released after the earlier convictions, the victim’s family spoke of the lasting impact of his death.

“Words cannot begin to describe how life has been since Josh's passing and he will be forever in our hearts.
“Words cannot describe the heartache and emotional anguish this senseless killing has caused and the impact on the family has been astronomical. Josh had his whole life ahead of him and he was full of so much untapped potential but his life was cut short due to a vicious and senseless murder. Things will never be the same for us and we have to live with this for the rest of our lives,” the family said.

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Father calls for end to street violence

Speaking after his son’s death, Boadu’s father described him as a caring young man with a promising future.

“He was a wonderful and caring boy. We believed there was hope and that he could pull through. He was a good family person, not involved in gangs or anything like that. He had so many friends who came to the vigil, he was extremely well liked. The violence on London's streets must end. I don't know why my son would be stabbed, we have no idea,” he said.

He added:

“He had the chance to go to university, he had a place but wanted to get a trade under his belt. He fought hard for his life when he was in hospital.”

Calls to end knife crime intensify

The victim’s sister also decried the circumstances surrounding his death, describing it as senseless, Punch reported.

Matthew Adebiyi, 25, is extradited from Nigeria to the UK over charges linked to the 2018 murder of 23-year-old Joshua Boadu.
Nigeria extradites 25-year-old Matthew Adebiyi to the UK to face charges over the 2018 killing of Joshua Boadu. Photo credit: @PoliceNG
Source: Twitter
“I lost my brother to a senseless act of knife crime… it's not fair, put the knives down, it has to stop,” she said.

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A friend remembered Boadu as “one of the best people”, adding that he was widely loved and had a bright future ahead of him.

The extradition marks a significant development in the long-running case, as authorities in the UK continue efforts to bring all those linked to the killing to justice.

US court sends convicted Nigerian fraudster to 90 months in prison

Legit.ng reported that the federal authorities in the United States have secured a lengthy prison sentence against a Nigerian national convicted in a transnational cybercrime scheme involving wire fraud and money laundering.

The case was concluded after months of cross-border cooperation that linked investigators on two continents and led to the suspect’s transfer to face trial.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Ezra Ukanwa avatar

Ezra Ukanwa (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Ezra Ukanwa is a Reuters-certified journalist with over 5 years of professional experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication from Anchor University, Lagos. Currently, he is the Politics and Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He previously worked as a senior correspondent at Vanguard Newspapers. Ezra was recognized as Best Campus Journalist at the Anchor University Communications Awards in 2019 and is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM). Contact him at: ezra.ukanwa@corp.legit.ng or +2349036989944