British-Nigerian prisoner escapes after mistaken release from custody

A British-Nigerian man, Ifedayo Adeyeye, serving a prison sentence in the United Kingdom over the abduction of his young son, has reportedly escaped after being mistakenly released from custody.

The startling development came to light during court proceedings on Monday, where it was disclosed that officials at HM Prison Pentonville failed to promptly notify police authorities following the error.

The delay allegedly allowed Adeyeye several days of freedom before a nationwide manhunt was launched by the Metropolitan Police, also known as Scotland Yard.

According to a report by The Telegraph UK, a judge had earlier ruled in June that Adeyeye unlawfully removed his son, Laurys Adeyeye, from the child’s mother, Claire N’Djosse, in France and transported him to Nigeria through the UK.

The boy, who was born in France and had lived with his mother since birth, was reportedly taken on July 27, 2024 — the first time he had spent the night with his father.

The court heard that after allegedly failing to return the child in compliance with a UK court order, Adeyeye was arrested upon his return to Britain.

In January, he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for contempt of court. On April 20, he received an additional 12-month jail term after reportedly refusing to comply with further directives aimed at facilitating the child’s return to his mother.

However, in a critical administrative lapse, information regarding the fresh sentence was not properly communicated to prison officials responsible for inmate releases. As a result, Adeyeye was mistakenly freed from custody the following day.

At a hearing on May 1, the court sharply criticised what it described as a serious delay and lack of urgency by prison authorities in responding to the mistaken release. The judge noted that the situation could likely have been avoided had law enforcement been alerted immediately.

“If the police had been contacted immediately, this could perhaps, almost certainly perhaps, have been prevented. The public is entitled to expect far better than this,” the judge stated.

During Monday’s proceedings, investigators informed the court that Adeyeye was believed to have travelled to Spain shortly after regaining his freedom and was thought to have left the UK on April 22.

In a statement presented before the court, the Metropolitan Police acknowledged the gravity of the incident and the distress caused to both the child and his mother.

“We are using the powers at our disposal to pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry to locate and arrest [Adeyeye] and will continue to do so diligently and expeditiously,” the police said.

The Telegraph UK further reported that the incident reflects a broader issue within the prison system. Citing figures from the Ministry of Justice, the newspaper noted that 179 inmates were mistakenly released between April 2025 and March 2026, raising concerns about systemic lapses in custodial administration across the country.