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Holloway prison: Aishatu Ishaku was thought to have escaped, before she was found hiding inside five days later

Escaped prisoner found hiding inside prison

Justin Davenport, Crime Correspondent
11.06.09

A prisoner thought to have escaped from Holloway jail last week has been found hiding inside the prison five days after she disappeared.

Aishatu Ishaku, 35, had been hiding inside the roof space of the prison's education centre.

Prison officers mounted a major search for Ishaku after she went missing following a roll call last Friday.

Police forces were alerted, a helicopter was scrambled and details of the Russian-born Nigerian woman were circulated to ports and airports.

Ishaku, who was on remand for fraud, was described as having long black hair with round spectacles.

She had been thought to have escaped by simply walking out of the women only jail by tagging on to a visiting church group at 9am on Friday.

The escape was believed to have been the first at Holloway for 12 years.

But today the Ministry of Justice admitted that Ishaku had been found INSIDE the jail after an extensive search of the premises.

Prison insiders have told the Standard that she had been found hiding inside the roof space of the jail's education centre.

She had spent five days in the hiding spot after taking supplies with her including food and water.

The prison governor is said to have ordered a major inquiry into why the prisoner was not found earlier.

They are also looking to see if she had help while she was hiding.

The jail houses more than 500 prisoners, including many of Britain's worst female murderers and Baby P's 27-year-old mother who was jailed last month after he was tortured to death.

A Prison Service spokesman said today: "Following extensive searching of the prison by staff and dogs, a prisoner who was believed to have escaped from HMP Holloway was discovered within the prison on 10 June."

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