A Nigerian national, Ifedayo Adedapo Kolawole Adeyeye, convicted for abducting his young son, has gone missing after being erroneously released from a United Kingdom prison before completing his sentence.
Adeyeye was freed from HMP Pentonville, London, on April 21, despite having an outstanding 12-month jail term and pending extradition to France. Authorities reportedly discovered the error two days later, sparking outrage and sharp criticism from the court over the delayed response.
The case stems from a July 2024 incident in which Adeyeye unlawfully took his son, Laurys N’Djosse Adeyeye, from his mother in France to Nigeria. A High Court had earlier classified the matter among the most severe categories of child abduction cases.
The child’s mother, Claire N’Djosse, is said to have been separated from her son for nearly two years.
Adeyeye was initially sentenced to six months’ imprisonment in January for contempt of court after failing to return the child. However, on April 20, the court imposed an additional 12-month sentence for related offences.
The second sentence was not properly documented, leading to his premature release a day later.
Counsel to the child’s mother told the court that there was a two-day delay before authorities issued an alert to prevent Adeyeye from fleeing the UK.
In a strongly worded remark, the presiding judge condemned the lapse, describing it as an “alarming lack of urgency” on the part of prison officials.
The court also authorised the publication of the identities of Adeyeye and his son to aid efforts to locate them.
Expressing concern, the judge stated that “the state has failed,” warning that law enforcement agencies appeared not to fully grasp the gravity of the situation.
He further described Adeyeye as a significant risk to the child’s physical and emotional wellbeing, accusing him of dishonesty throughout the proceedings.
According to the judge, keeping Adeyeye in custody remains “the best, perhaps the only, hope” of reuniting the boy with his mother.
Highlighting the wider implications of the incident, the court stressed the importance of public scrutiny when institutional failures occur.
Meanwhile, police authorities confirmed they were notified of the development on April 24 and have since launched an urgent manhunt to locate Adeyeye and return him to custody.