By Our Correspondent

National News – A British-Nigerian man, Ifedayo Adeyeye, has reportedly fled the United Kingdom after prison officials mistakenly released him while he was serving a jail sentence linked to the abduction of his son.

The incident, which has sparked criticism of the UK prison system, happened after officials at HMP Pentonville allegedly failed to process details of an additional sentence imposed on him by the court.

Adeyeye was convicted for refusing to return his son, Laurys Adeyeye, to his mother, Claire N’Djosse, following a court order.

According to reports, the child was taken from France to Nigeria through the UK in July 2024 after spending his first overnight visit with his father.

Authorities said the child had lived with his mother in France since birth.

The UK court sentenced Adeyeye to six months imprisonment in January for contempt of court after he failed to comply with directives to return the child.

On April 20, the court added another 12-month prison term after he again refused to cooperate.

However, prison authorities mistakenly released him the next day because the updated sentencing information was reportedly not communicated to release officers.

Police were said to have been informed days later, giving Adeyeye enough time to escape before a nationwide manhunt was launched.

Court proceedings heard that he may have travelled to Spain shortly after leaving prison and is believed to have exited the UK on April 22.

The Metropolitan Police said investigators are actively pursuing all available leads to locate and arrest him.

The court also criticised the “lack of urgency” shown by prison officials, warning that the escape might have been prevented if police had been alerted immediately.

The case has renewed concerns about prison administration failures in the UK, with official data revealing that 179 inmates were mistakenly released between April 2025 and March 2026.