Two prisoners freed by mistake in 2024 are nonetheless at giant – and two extra launched this yr have additionally stayed on the run in contemporary humiliation for David Lammy
Two prisoners who were freed by mistake in 2024 are reportedly still at large more than a year later.
A further two inmates are also on the run after being released in error in June this year, bringing the total to four.
A fifth prisoner, Nigerian national Ola Abimbola, also remains at large after allegedly walking out of the open prison HMP Ford on October 10.
Sussex Police is working with its partners to catch the 36-year-old, who is currently serving a 21-year sentence for offences including kidnap, GBH and possession of an offensive weapon in public.
It comes as fresh humiliation for Justice Secretary David Lammy, who said last night he was ‘appalled at the rate of releases in error’.
Mr Lammy is facing increasing backlash over a number of mistaken releases in recent days, one of which he failed to come clean about during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.
Algerian sex offender Brahim Kaddour-Cherif was finally re-arrested on Friday after mistakenly being released from HMP Wandsworth nine days ago, sparking a huge police manhunt.
The 24-year-old, who had been serving a sentence for trespass with intent to steal and had a previous conviction for indecent exposure, was snared by cops after a tip-off from a member of the public.
He was detained by officers in Finsbury Park, the same area where sex attack migrant Hadush Kebatu was arrested two weeks earlier, following yet another error that saw him released by mistake.
David Lammy (pictured) is facing fresh humiliation after it was revealed that a prisoner who was freed by mistake in March 2024 is reportedly still at large
Ola Abimbola, a foreign national, escaped from open prison HMP Ford on October 16 and has not been seen since
Sussex Police released this CCTV image Abimbola last month after allegedly walking out of prison
The Ethiopian national was had been jailed for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman, but was freed by mistake on October 24, instead of being sent to an immigration detention centre.
He was later traced and deported following a three-day manhunt.
Another prisoner, Billy Smith, 35, was also accidentally freed from Wandsworth on Monday before handing himself back in.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said the mistaken releases revealed ‘the incompetence of this government’ and urged Mr Lammy to ‘come clean about how many prisoners have been accidentally released and how many are still at large.’
Home Secretary Chris Philp added last night: ‘Fifty specialist officers were needed to catch [Kaddour-Cherif] in order to spare David Lammy’s blushes.
‘Mr Lammy has lost control of the justice system and is too cowardly to explain himself.’
And Liberal Democrat spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller said ‘every resource’ must go into finding the prisoners.
‘This is a disgrace and an omnishambles. It shouldn’t have to take the media to inform the public that prisoners are at large after accidental release,’ she told the BBC.
Kaddour-Cherif had been serving a sentence at HMP Wandsworth for trespass with intent to steal. He has a past conviction for indecent exposure
Kaddour-Cherif was filmed being arrested by Met Police officers in Finsbury Park, north London
Hadush Kebatu was set free from HMP Chelmsford in error just two weeks before Kaddour-Cherif’s wrongful release
This is the moment Kebatu (second from left) was arrested by Met Police officers in Finsbury Park, north London
Abimbola is also not the only prisoner to have absconded in recent months.
Days after his escape, Thames Valley Police reported that a ‘vicious’ Eeast London drug dealer had absconded from HMP Spring Hill in Buckinghamshire.
Osei Kuffour, 36, had been serving 25 years for attempted murder after shooting a woman in the face when he failed to return the category D prison in October.
He was arrested the next day by police after warning members of the public not to approach him.
Another inmate Anton Newell, 36, who is originally from Isleworth in Middlesex, absconded from the same open prison in June and remains at large.
Investigating officers Detective Sergeant Matthew French, said: ‘We are appealing for the public’s help in tracing Newell. We would strongly advice members of the public not to approach him but to call 999 if they see him.
‘If you have information as to his whereabouts then please call 101 quoting reference 43250369549.’
