Man jailed for child abduction released in error, sought in Spain

A man jailed for abducting his five-year-old son has been unlawfully at large for weeks after being mistakenly released from a London prison, with authorities now believing he may have fled to Spain. Ifedayo Adeyeye, 58, was freed from HMP Pentonville on April 21 despite having been sentenced to an additional 12 months in prison for contempt of court just one day earlier.

The High Court heard that prison staff did not notify the Metropolitan Police of the error until the afternoon of April 24. In the interim, Adeyeye reportedly walked around London, had dinner and drinks at a pub, and transferred thousands of pounds from a bank account. Police believe he may have traveled to Spain as early as April 22. At a hearing, Mr Justice Hayden said that if police had been contacted immediately, the situation could almost certainly have been prevented, adding that the public is entitled to expect far better.

Adeyeye was originally imprisoned for abducting his son, Laurys, from the boy’s mother, Claire NDjosse, in France in July 2024. The court heard that the day of the abduction was the first time Laurys had stayed overnight with his father. Adeyeye then took the child from France to the...