![\"BEST](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SEI_295397609-3f20-e1778522101382.jpg\")
\n\t\tIfedayo Adeyeye who abducted his son, Laurys N\u2019Djosse Adeyeye, from France and took him to Nigeria, who was mistakenly released from HMP Pentonville last month. (Picture: High Court\/PA Wire)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tIfedayo Adeyeye who abducted his son, Laurys N\u2019Djosse Adeyeye, from France and took him to Nigeria, who was mistakenly released from HMP Pentonville last month. (Picture: High Court\/PA Wire)<\/p>\n
A dad accidentally released from prison early \u2018strolled around London\u2019 for three days before jailers reported him missing to police.<\/p>\n
Ifedayo Adeyeye, serving time for kidnapping his five-year-old son, may have fled the UK after prison staff accidentally released him.<\/p>\n
The 58-year-old walked free from HMP Pentonville in north London on April 21 despite being jailed for another 12 months just the day before.<\/p>\n
The High Court heard he then \u2018strolled about\u2019 London, enjoyed a pub dinner with \u2018quite a lot of drink\u2019, and transferred thousands of pounds from his bank account before officers were finally alerted.<\/p>\n
By then, police believe the dual British-Nigerian national may already have travelled to Spain.<\/p>\n
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Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates<\/a> newsletter or get Breaking News<\/a> alerts the moment it happens. <\/p>\n Mr Justice Hayden blasted the delay, saying: \u2018If the police had been contacted immediately, this could perhaps, almost certainly perhaps, have been prevented.<\/p>\n \u2018The public is entitled to expect far better than this.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t Adeyeye had previously been found to have abducted his son, Laurys N\u2019Djosse Adeyeye, from France in July 2024 after the boy stayed overnight with him for the first time.<\/p>\n The court heard Laurys had lived with his mother, Claire N\u2019Djosse, in France since birth before being taken via the UK to Nigeria.<\/p>\n Ms N\u2019Djosse has not seen her son since.<\/p>\n In a legal first last year, Mr Justice Hayden ruled the High Court could order Adeyeye to return Laurys to France even though the child did not live in the UK.<\/p>\n When he ignored the order, Adeyeye was jailed for contempt of court in January.<\/p>\n \t\t He was due to be released in April, but on April 20 was handed another 12-month sentence for failing to return his son.<\/p>\n Despite that, prison staff released him the very next day after not being notified of the new sentance.<\/p>\n The judge described the child abduction as \u2018an act of cruelty that even this court rarely sees\u2019 and branded Adeyeye \u2018arrogant and manipulative\u2019 as well as \u2018cold and calculated\u2019.<\/p>\n Police told the court they were pursuing \u2018all reasonable lines of enquiry\u2019 after reports Adeyeye entered Spain on April 22.<\/p>\n The Metropolitan Police said: \u2018We recognise both the seriousness of this matter and how traumatic the present situation must be for both Ms N\u2019Djosse and her son.\u2019<\/p>\n The force said prison officials blamed a \u2018communication failure\u2019 with the court for the blunder \u2014 a claim the judge dismissed as \u2018entirely groundless\u2019.<\/p>\n Chris Bryden, representing Ms N\u2019Djosse, said the state had failed the mother twice, by releasing Adeyeye and again by not immediately informing police.<\/p>\n The case comes after Ministry of Justice figures revealed 179 inmates were wrongly released between April 2025 and March 2026.<\/p>\n Data published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) last month showed that 179 inmates were wrongly released between April 2025 and March 2026.<\/p>\n The issue was thrown into sharp focus after the mistaken release of Hadush Kebatu, who was jailed for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Epping, Essex, which prompted a series of protests last year.<\/p>\n The issue previously sparked outrage following the mistaken release of convicted sex offender Hadush Kebatu, who was jailed for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Essex<\/p>\n The MoJ has previously said that it was investing up to \u00a382 million to drive down accidental releases, adding: \u2018We inherited a prison system in crisis after years of underinvestment, which has resulted in unacceptable rises in release in errors.\u2019<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"BEST](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SEI_295397632-7fd3.jpg\")
\n\t\tCatch him if you can: Ifedayo Adeyeye may have fled UK (Picture: High Court\/PA Wire)<\/p>\n![\"BEST](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SEI_295397623-7eee.jpg\")
\n\t\tAdeyeye was initially jailed for six months for contempt of court in January for failing to return Laurys
(Picture: High Court\/PA Wire)<\/p>\n
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