UK Prison Blunder: Nigerian Man Convicted of Child Abduction Released in Error

A Nigerian man, Ifedayo Adedapo Kolawoe Adeyeye, convicted of abducting his son, has gone missing after being mistakenly released from a UK prison before completing his sentence.

Adeyeye was released from HMP Pentonville in London on April 21, despite still having a 12-month sentence to serve and facing extradition to France.

The mistake was only discovered two days later, prompting criticism from the court over what was described as a slow response by authorities.

The High Court had earlier found that Adeyeye abducted his son, Laurys N’Djosse Adeyeye, from his mother in France in July 2024 and transported him to Nigeria, classifying the case as “in the most serious class of cases.” The child’s mother, Claire N’Djosse, has not seen him in almost two years.

Adeyeye had initially been sentenced to six months in January for contempt of court after failing to return the boy. On April 20, he was given a further 12-month sentence for additional offences. However, due to an administrative error in recording the second sentence, he was released the next day.

Lawyers for the child’s mother revealed there was a “two-day gap” before an alert was issued to prevent his departure from the UK.

The judge criticised the authorities, citing an “alarming lack of urgency” and stating that “the state has failed.”

He further warned that he was “not even sure if the police have any impression of the seriousness” of the matter.

Describing Adeyeye as a “dangerous threat to his son’s physical and emotional welfare,” the judge said his detention “is the best, perhaps the only, hope of reunification” with his mother.

The court allowed the identities of the father and son to be published to aid in locating them.

Police confirmed they were alerted on April 24 and are currently working urgently to find Adeyeye and return him to custody.

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