By Deborah Nnamdi
A Nigerian man jailed for kidnapping has been on the run for nearly a month after absconding from an open prison in Sussex, UK.
Ola Abimbola, 36, who was serving a 21-year sentence for conspiracy to kidnap, grievous bodily harm, blackmail, and false imprisonment, walked out of HMP Ford in Arundel around 8 a.m. on October 10 and has not been seen since.
Abimbola had been transferred to the open prison under new rules introduced by the Labour government to ease chronic overcrowding in higher-security jails. Previously, he would not have been eligible for such a transfer for another six years. Open prisons—also known as Category D facilities—have minimal security and are typically reserved for inmates nearing the end of their sentences to support reintegration into society.
Sussex Police have launched an extensive search for Abimbola, publicizing the hunt on social media and warning the public not to approach him. Anyone with information is urged to dial 999 immediately.
The escape comes amid mounting pressure on Justice Secretary David Lammy, following the mistaken release of two foreign sex offenders, Brahim Kaddour-Cherif and Hadush Kebatu, and British fraudster Billy Smith.
Robert Jenrick, Shadow Justice Secretary, criticised the system, saying: “Kebatu and Cherif were just the tip of the iceberg. The system is in chaos under ‘Calamity’ Lammy, and the British people are being put in danger.”
Mark Drury of the Prison Governors’ Association noted a recent rise in absconders from open prisons, warning of “increased risk to the public.” He added that risk assessments have increasingly become an “algorithm tick box” due to pressure on offender management units.
The Ministry of Justice defended the policy, stating that only a “small number of offenders” are eligible for open prison moves, each undergoing a “strict, thorough risk assessment,” and that any prisoner who breaks the rules “can be immediately returned.”
