LONDON — Nov. 8, 2025: A 36-year-old Nigerian man, Ola Abimbola, jailed for conspiracy to kidnap, grievous bodily harm, blackmail and false imprisonment, has been on the run for nearly a month after walking out of HMP Ford open prison in Arundel, West Sussex.
Abimbola, serving a 21-year sentence, allegedly absconded around 8 a.m. on Oct. 10, just one month after being transferred to the Category D facility under new Labour government rules intended to ease overcrowding in higher-security jails. Under previous criteria, he would not have been eligible for open conditions for another six years.
Sussex Police said efforts to locate Abimbola are ongoing and urged the public not to approach him. Anyone with information is asked to call 999.
The case has intensified scrutiny of the government’s prison-capacity strategy following the mistaken release of foreign sex offenders Brahim Kaddour-Cherif and Hadush Kebatu, and British fraudster Billy Smith. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick accused ministers of presiding over “chaos,” saying public safety is at risk.
From the frontline, Prison Governors’ Association member Mark Drury warned of a recent rise in absconders from open prisons, saying risk assessments have become an “algorithm tick box” amid pressure on offender management units. The Ministry of Justice countered that only a “small number” of prisoners are moved to open conditions following “strict, thorough” assessments and that anyone breaching rules can be returned immediately.
Open prisons are typically used to prepare inmates nearing release for reintegration, with minimal perimeter security and more community access. Critics argue the earlier transfers now permitted have raised abscond risk, while supporters say they are necessary to relieve overcrowding and maintain progression routes within the system.
Police appeal: Do not engage if sighted. Call 999 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously with reference to the HMP Ford abscond.
