British-Nigerian Convict Escapes UK After Accidental Prison Release

A British-Nigerian man identified as Ifedayo Adeyeye has reportedly fled the United Kingdom after prison authorities mistakenly released him despite an additional jail sentence linked to a child abduction case.

The incident emerged during a court hearing in London on Monday, where officials disclosed that Adeyeye had been given a head start of several days before law enforcement agencies were alerted to his disappearance. Authorities said the delay complicated efforts to track him down after he left custody.

Court records showed that the case stemmed from a dispute involving his son, Laurys Adeyeye, who had been living in France with his mother, Claire N’Djosse. A judge had earlier ruled that Adeyeye unlawfully removed the child from France and transported him through the UK before taking him to Nigeria.

The court heard that the child had spent the night with his father for the first time on July 27, 2024, but was not returned afterward as required by a court order. Following his eventual return to Britain, Adeyeye was arrested and sentenced to six months imprisonment earlier this year for contempt of court.

He later received another 12-month prison sentence in April after allegedly refusing to cooperate with efforts aimed at returning the child to his mother. However, prison officials reportedly released him the next day because updated sentencing information was not properly communicated to officers handling inmate discharge procedures.

The error drew criticism from the court, which questioned the speed and seriousness of the response from prison authorities. The judge reportedly stated that immediate notification to the police could likely have prevented the escape.

Investigators now believe Adeyeye may have travelled to Spain shortly after leaving prison and possibly exited the UK on April 22. Scotland Yard said officers are pursuing multiple leads and remain committed to locating and rearresting him.

The development has renewed scrutiny of prison administration failures in the UK. Official data from the Ministry of Justice reportedly showed that nearly 180 inmates were mistakenly released from custody between April 2025 and March 2026, raising concerns over systemic lapses within the prison system.