The Nigeria Police Force has been hit with fresh accusations of institutionalised ethnic bias after announcing the extradition of a murder suspect to the United Kingdom. Nigerians say the police deliberately fabricated an Igbo identity for the suspect to promote anti Igbo bigotry under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
NPF EXTRADITES FUGITIVE TO UK FOR MURDER AND DRUG TRAFFICKING, IGP DISU REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO GLOBAL COLLABORATION
The Nigeria Police Force, through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja, has successfully facilitated the extradition of one Matthew Chukwuemeka… pic.twitter.com/2QU1Ht0kX7
— Nigeria Police Force (@PoliceNG) April 16, 2026
In an official statement, the police identified the suspect as Matthew Chukwuemeka Adebiyi, who is wanted for a 2018 murder and drug trafficking charges. However, social media users quickly pointed out that British authorities and UK media reports have consistently named the suspect only as Matthew Adebiyi, without any reference to the Igbo name Chukwuemeka.
Nigerians accused the police of identity fraud and systematic fabrication of Igbo identities in criminal reports. One user on X, formerly Twitter, stated that federal institutions are being used to promote bigotry against Igbos right before our eyes. Another user questioned what else happens behind closed doors when the state apparatus is willing to alter ethnic details for a public announcement.
The Nigeria Police Force had posted its own version of events on its official X account, confirming the extradition. But that post was met with a wave of backlash on X (Readers Context). Citizens demanded an explanation for why the suspect was given an Igbo name that appears nowhere in the original UK case file. A separate post from another user provided a detailed angle on the case, showing screenshots of UK police records that listed only Matthew Adebiyi with no middle name.
This incident has reinforced a wider narrative that the Tinubu administration presides over a state apparatus where ethnic prejudice is tolerated and even thrives. Nigerians point to longstanding grievances about ethnic lopsidedness in federal appointments and security sector conduct. Many now argue that institutionalised bigotry is not accidental but something President Tinubu thrives on, as it serves to divide opposition and distract from governance failures.
The police have not yet responded to the specific allegation that they added the name Chukwuemeka without evidence. But public pressure is mounting for an independent inquiry into the conduct of the Force Public Relations Office. Until then, the extradition case stands as the latest flashpoint in Nigeria’s worsening ethnic tensions under the current administration.
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