A convicted kidnapper serving a 21-year sentence has been missing for more than five months after walking out of an open prison in Sussex, raising fresh questions about the transfer of high-risk offenders to low-security facilities under measures introduced to tackle prison overcrowding.
Ola Abimbola, 36, a Nigerian national, is understood to have absconded from HMP Ford on 10 October last year and has not been located since. He had been at the open prison for only around a month before disappearing, having been transferred there under new rules introduced by the Labour government to ease pressure on more secure closed prisons.
Abimbola is serving a 21-year extended determinate sentence for offences including kidnap, grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon in public. His earliest parole date is not until 30 June 2030, and his conditional release date remains eleven years away, set for 29 June 2036. He is understood to have had at least five years remaining on his sentence at the time of his transfer to the open facility.
Open prisons such as HMP Ford operate with minimal security and allow eligible prisoners to spend significant portions of the day outside the prison on licence, typically to undertake work or education as part of preparation for eventual reintegration into society. Prisoners are only supposed to be considered eligible for open conditions if they are assessed as presenting a low risk of absconding.
The case has added to a growing list of prisoner management failures that have drawn criticism toward Justice Secretary David Lammy. In recent months, the department has faced scrutiny over the mistaken releases of foreign sex offenders Brahim Kaddour-Cherif and Hadush Kebatu, as well as British fraudster Billy Smith.
Concerns about conditions at HMP Ford itself have also been raised independently. An independent monitoring board report revealed that the number of high-risk prisoners held at the facility had risen from 109 to 180 over the past year — a development the watchdog warned was “altering the mix of prisoners” and could increase risks within the prison population. The board also flagged systemic problems within the probation service, warning that despite repeated assurances about funding and resources, significant delays in processing prisoners for temporary release on licence were placing additional strain on the prison.
Sussex Police confirmed officers have been actively searching for Abimbola since his disappearance but have so far been unable to locate him. The force has issued a public appeal on social media and is urging anyone who believes they have seen him to call 999 immediately, advising members of the public not to approach him directly.
