A serious security breach at a London prison has allowed a convicted sex offender to vanish into the community, triggering an urgent police investigation and raising alarm about public safety.
The individual, identified as 31-year-old Abdul Ezedi, was mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth despite being subject to immigration detention and having a concerning criminal history.
The Disappearing Act
Ezedi, who previously resided in Epping, Essex, was supposed to be transferred to immigration authorities following his prison sentence. Instead, he walked free due to what officials are calling an "administrative error."
Police sources confirm the convicted offender has now completely disappeared, with authorities launching a nationwide search to locate him. The public has been warned not to approach him if spotted.
Criminal Background Revealed
Court records show Ezedi was convicted of sexual activity with an underage girl and possession of indecent images. His sentence was completed at Wandsworth, but he remained subject to immigration detention due to his foreign national status.
The Home Office had issued a deportation order, making his mistaken release particularly concerning for public safety officials.
Systemic Failures Exposed
This incident marks the latest in a series of security failures at UK prisons. Just weeks earlier, another high-profile prisoner escaped from the same facility, highlighting what critics call "systemic problems" within the prison service.
A Prison Service spokesperson acknowledged the error, stating: "We are working closely with the police to recapture this individual and have launched an urgent investigation into how this release occurred."
The Metropolitan Police have appealed for anyone with information about Ezedi's whereabouts to come forward immediately as the search intensifies across London and surrounding counties.
