Foreign National Escapes Open Prison, Sparks Public Safety Fears
Police in Sussex have confirmed they are searching for a foreign criminal who escaped from an open prison nearly a month ago and remains at large. Ola Abimbola, a 36-year-old foreign national, allegedly walked out of HMP Ford on October 16 and has not been seen since, with authorities admitting they have been unable to locate him.
Abimbola is currently serving a substantial 21-year sentence for a series of serious offences, including kidnap, grievous bodily harm (GBH), and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. A spokesperson for Sussex Police stated that the force is working with partner agencies to find the fugitive, but the prolonged search is causing significant concern.
A Pattern of Failures in the Prison System
This incident is not isolated. Abimbola is the second foreign national known to be evading capture in recent weeks. Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian sex offender, was mistakenly freed from the scandal-hit HMP Wandsworth on October 29 and is still on the run. His accidental release was only reported to the Metropolitan Police on November 4, raising serious questions about procedural delays.
Kaddour-Cherif had been serving a sentence for trespass with intent to steal and has a previous conviction for the sexual offence of indecent exposure. It is understood that he entered Britain legally on a visa in 2019 but became an 'overstayer' after it expired, with the Home Office flagging his illegal status as far back as February 2020.
This case follows another high-profile error last month when Ethiopian migrant Hadush Kebatu was wrongly freed from HMP Chelmsford. Kebatu, convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman, was only re-arrested days later and deported after being paid £500.
Prison Overcrowding Blamed for Increased Public Risk
Mark Drury, a member of the Prison Governors' Association, has issued a stark warning, noting a 'sudden' rise in absconders from open prisons in recent years. He directly linked this trend to government efforts to tackle prison overcrowding, stating, 'there are a large number of prisoners in open prisons now we would not have considered suitable two or three years ago.' This policy shift, he emphasised, creates an 'increased risk to the public'.
The problem appears widespread. Just days after Abimbola's escape, Thames Valley Police reported that Osei Kuffour, a 36-year-old described as a 'vicious' East London drug dealer, had absconded from HMP Spring Hill in Buckinghamshire. Kuffour, who was serving 25 years for attempted murder after shooting a woman in the face, was arrested the following day. Furthermore, another inmate, Anton Newell, 36, absconded from the same open prison in June, and it remains unclear if he has been apprehended.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed that he was 'angry and frustrated' by what he called 'intolerable' wrongful prisoner releases. His Justice Secretary, David Lammy, confirmed on October 27 that stronger release checks would be implemented, though he noted that Kaddour-Cherif's release occurred just two days later, before the new measures were in effect. The series of security lapses has plunged the UK's prison system into a deep crisis of confidence.
