A British-Nigerian man jailed in the United Kingdom for abducting his five-year-old son remains on the run after prison authorities mistakenly released him, in a case a judge has described as a major institutional failure.
Ifedayo Adedapo Kolawoe Adeyeye was freed from HMP Pentonville on April 21, 2026, despite having an additional one-year sentence to serve before his planned extradition to France. The error was only discovered two days later, prompting an urgent manhunt.
Delivering judgment on May 1, Justice Hayden criticized prison officials for what he called an “alarming lack of urgency,” questioning whether authorities fully understood the gravity of the situation.
Adeyeye had abducted his son, Laurys N’Djosse Adeyeye, from the child’s mother, Claire N’Djosse, in July 2024 during the boy’s first overnight visit with him. The court previously ruled that he transported the child from France to Nigeria through the UK in a carefully planned and deceptive operation.
The judge described the case as among the most serious of its kind, noting the child has been separated from his mother for nearly two years. A Nigerian court later granted custody to individuals believed to be Adeyeye’s relatives without the mother’s consent.
French authorities are also seeking his arrest. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police confirmed they were alerted on April 24 and are actively working to locate him.
Legal representatives for the mother revealed prison officials admitted the release was due to a failure to flag his second sentence. Justice Hayden expressed disbelief that officers present at his sentencing did not act to prevent the mistake.
He warned that keeping Adeyeye in custody may be the only realistic chance of reuniting the child with his mother, who has been left devastated by the ordeal.Full Details. .
