A father who was imprisoned for abducting his five-year-old son has been mistakenly released from a London prison and remains at large, sparking a police manhunt. Ifedayo Adedapo Kolawoe Adeyeye was freed from HMP Pentonville on April 21, but prison staff did not realise until two days later that he was due to serve an additional 12-month sentence and be extradited to France upon its completion.
Background of the Case
Last June, Mr Justice Hayden ruled that Adeyeye, a dual British-Nigerian national, had abducted his son, Laurys N'Djosse Adeyeye, from his mother in France in July 2024 and taken him to Nigeria. The judge described the abduction as "in the most serious class of cases". Adeyeye, an engineer, was arrested upon his return to the UK and jailed for six months in January for contempt of court after failing to return Laurys to his mother, Claire N'Djosse, who has not seen her son since the abduction.
Mistaken Release
On April 20, the day before his scheduled release, Adeyeye was sentenced to a further 12 months for additional contempt of court offences. However, the High Court heard on Friday that he was mistakenly released from HMP Pentonville the following day. Lawyers for Ms N'Djosse stated there was a "two-day gap" between Adeyeye's release and an alert being issued to prevent him from leaving the UK.
Barrister Tori Adams, representing Ms N'Djosse, requested the court to allow reporting of Adeyeye and Laurys's identities to aid in locating them, emphasising the case was of "the utmost seriousness" and that Adeyeye's whereabouts "remain unknown".
Judge's Response
Mr Justice Hayden permitted the reporting and stated "the state has failed", noting an "alarming lack of urgency" from prison staff. He expressed doubt that police fully grasped the seriousness of the case. The judge described Adeyeye as a "dangerous threat to his son's physical and emotional welfare" and said his detention was "the best, perhaps the only, hope of reunification of this boy with his mother." He added that the abduction had "devastated" Ms N'Djosse, whose pain was "visceral and unbearable to watch."
Police Investigation
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed the force was informed by the Prison Service at around 1pm on April 24 that Adeyeye had been mistakenly released, and officers were "carrying out urgent inquiries in an effort to locate him and return him to custody."
Legal and Procedural Failures
In a legal first, Mr Justice Hayden ruled last June that the High Court had the power to order Adeyeye to return Laurys to his mother, even though the boy did not live in the UK. Laurys was born in France and lived with his mother until July 27, 2024, when he was abducted during his first overnight stay with his father and taken to Nigeria via the UK. A Nigerian court later granted parental responsibility to two individuals, believed to be Adeyeye's relatives, without Ms N'Djosse's consent.
On Friday, Chris Bryden, also representing Ms N'Djosse, told the court that after Adeyeye returned to HMP Pentonville to serve his second sentence, solicitors received an email from prison staff stating they had "released Mr Adeyeye in error" because the second jail term was "not flagged up." The email apologised for the error and noted that Adeyeye was "currently unlawfully at large." Mr Bryden highlighted that the email did not explain how prison staff missed the extradition requirement. Mr Justice Hayden questioned how prison officers present at Adeyeye's second sentencing hearing "did not mention it to someone else when he got back."
Wider Context
The issue of accidental releases gained attention last autumn when HMP Wandsworth wrongly freed a convicted sex offender and a fraudster. Official figures showed that in the year to March 2025, 262 inmates were mistakenly released, a 128% increase from the previous year's 115. The Government responded with promises to improve prison release systems.
Forum Shah, a partner at Dawson Cornwell, which represents Ms N'Djosse, urged anyone with information about Adeyeye's whereabouts to contact police. The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment.
