A dangerous kidnapper is among a growing number of convicts who have absconded from open prisons in the UK, raising serious concerns about public safety.
Wanted: A Violent Offender
Ola Abimbola, 36, who was serving a 21-year sentence for kidnap, grievous bodily harm, and possession of an offensive weapon, has been wanted for weeks. He disappeared from HMP Ford, a Category D prison in West Sussex where inmates are trusted to spend most of their day outside to work or study.
Authorities have issued a clear warning to the public. Police are urging anyone who sees Abimbola ‘not to approach him’ and to call 999 immediately.
A Wider Pattern of Escapes
This incident is not isolated. A senior prison governor has warned that facilities which had no absconders for ‘many years’ are ‘suddenly’ experiencing a rise.
Mark Drury, who represents all open prison governors at the Prison Governors’ Association, told Sky News that the wider public is ‘at risk’. He stated that the increase in absconders is heaping ‘pressure on offender management units’.
Other recent cases include:
- Tesfa Clarke, 47, who was serving a nine-and-a-half year sentence for a series of violent robberies. He was still wanted after leaving HMP Sudbury in Derbyshire.
- Patrick Gavin, who was nearing the end of a five-year sentence for his part in a stabbing. He absconded from HMP Sudbury on the same day as Filipe Smith, a drug offender who has since been found and returned to custody.
Mounting Pressure on the System
The consecutive escapes from the same facility on the same day highlight a potential systemic issue. Police have had to launch multiple public appeals to trace these individuals, stretching resources and causing alarm in local communities.
The situation underscores the difficult balance the prison service must strike between rehabilitating offenders in low-security conditions and ensuring the safety of the public. With dangerous convicts like Abimbola now at large, this balance is under intense scrutiny.
