Alleged murder, trafficking: Police defend discrepancies in passport details of extradited Nigerian
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has defended the suspicious details contained in the bio-data page of the British passport of Matthew Adebiyi, a Nigerian recently extradited to the United Kingdom (UK).
Adebiyi was extradited to the UK over allegations of murder and drug trafficking.
On Friday, Aliyu Giwa, the NPF head of new media, published the bio-data page of Adebiyi’s passport via X to support the police statement that the suspect’s name is “Chukuemeka”.
Giwa said the suspect’s passport and official records confirm that his mother is Igbo and his father is Yoruba.
In a statement released on Thursday, the police identified the suspect as “Matthew Chukwuemeka Adebiyi”.
The inclusion of “Chukwuemeka” in his name sparked controversy as many Nigerians on X accused the police of “ethnic bigotry”.
However, the passport bio-data page published by the police on Friday shows some certain discrepancies when compared to the standard British passport.
The document shows that the suspect’s passport was issued by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
Only one agency — His Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) — has the authority to issue British passports. The authority section of standard British passports carries the inscription “HMPO”.
The document also shows that the passport was issued on April 13, 2026, and it will expire October 26, 2026. This means the passport has a validity of six months.
The six-month validity period raises questions on whether the passport was issued by the UK authority.
Many Nigerians have asked questions on the suspicious details contained in the suspect’s passport.
However, reacting to the questions, Giwa, in another statement via X, said the document is a “valid emergency British passport”.
The NPF new media officer said Adebiyi’s passport is a temporary travel document that is issued to “support lawful extradition when a regular passport is not available”.
“The document in question is a valid Emergency British Passport. This standard temporary travel document, valid for up to six months, is issued worldwide to support lawful extradition when a regular passport is not available,” Giwa wrote.
“This practice is neither unusual nor suspicious. It is recognized internationally.
“Labeling an official document used in a court-sanctioned, INTERPOL-facilitated extradition as “doctored” is not only inaccurate but also undermines the integrity of a legitimate legal process.
“The leadership of the force welcomes questions but will not tolerate misinformation.”
