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PHOTOS: How 10 Inmates Passed Through ‘Toilet Hole’, Escaped Jail

Published

7 months ago

May 17, 2025

Ten men, on Friday, escaped from a New Orleans jail after passing through a wall behind a toilet, but authorities believe the inmates may have had help from inside the facility.

According to the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, the escapees are armed and dangerous.

Following their escape, New Orleans police have been able to capture three of the inmates at different places. Kendell Myles, who is charged with attempted second-degree murder, was found in the French Quarter, hiding under a car in a hotel garage. Robert Moody was captured later that evening, though details about his arrest haven’t been released. The third person, Dkenan Dennis, was also located near Chef Menteur Highway.

“We have made progress,” said Orleans Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick. She confirmed three of the escapees are now in custody and that there are leads on the others. Kirkpatrick mentioned that one arrest came as a result of a tip submitted to Crime Stoppers.

Officials initially reported that 11 inmates had escaped, but later clarified that one had simply been moved to another cell. Eight inmates are still at large, including four charged with second-degree murder: Corey Boyd, Lenton Vanburen, Jermaine Donald, and Derrick Groves.

According to Major Silas Phipps, the escape began at 12:22 a.m. Friday, when some inmates tampered with a cell door. Surveillance footage showed them entering the cell 20 minutes later before they escaped through a wall behind a toilet at 1:01 a.m. and subsequently exited through a loading dock door and used blankets to climb over the barbed-wire perimeter fence. They then made their way toward nearby railroad tracks and Interstate 10.

Video footage from the investigation shows the inmates forcing open a cell door, leaving through the loading dock, and running across I-10. Their orange jail uniforms were later found discarded in a nearby neighbourhood.

Sheriff Susan Hutson said there’s evidence the inmates received help from within the department. “It’s almost impossible to escape from this facility without assistance,” she said.

The escape was discovered during a headcount at around 8:30 a.m. Friday. Federal and state law enforcement agencies were notified within the hour, while New Orleans police were informed by 10:30 a.m.

Sheriff Hutson also pointed to faulty cell locks as a factor in the escape. “There’s no way people get out without some kind of failure,” she said. “We’re going to find out exactly what happened.”

News

Trump’s Airstrikes: Halt Military Cooperation With US Immediately – Sheikh Gumi Tells Tinubu Govt

Published

4 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has called on the Federal Government to immediately halt all military cooperation with the United States following reported US airstrikes.

Gumi warned that American involvement could worsen Nigeria’s security challenges and undermine national sovereignty.

Gumi made the call in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Friday.

He said while Islam permits the fight against terrorism, such actions should only be carried out by what he described as “clean hands,” arguing that the United States lacks the moral authority to lead such efforts because of its global military record.

According to the cleric, Nigeria made a mistake by allowing foreign powers to play a role in its counterterrorism operations, insisting that “terrorists do not truly fight terrorists” and that such interventions often result in civilian casualties and hidden political motives.

Gumi warned that allowing Nigeria to become a theatre of war would attract anti-US forces into the country, further destabilising it.

He also cautioned that US involvement, particularly under claims of protecting Christians, could polarise the country along religious lines.

The cleric further argued that airstrikes alone cannot defeat terrorism, stressing that effective counterterrorism requires strong ground operations, which he said Nigeria has enough personnel to carry out if properly organised.

“This is the mistake Nigeria has made. Terrorists don’t fight terrorists in truth; they may only kill innocent people and have ulterior motives behind the drama of fighting ‘terror’.

“As a principle, no nation should allow its land to be a theater of war. And no nation should allow its neighbors to be their enemies.

“If Nigeria wants military assistance, China, Turkey, and Pakistan can do the job effectively,” part of his statement reads.

News

Shehu Sani Reacts To Trump’s Military Strikes In Nigeria

Published

4 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Former lawmaker, senator Shehu Sani, has reacted to reports of United States military strikes on terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North-West, saying foreign powers cannot permanently handle the country’s security challenges.

Sani made the remarks on Friday via his X handle while responding to a post by the United States Africa Command, AFRICOM, which indicated that the strikes were carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

According to him, if the reported strikes were indeed a joint operation with Nigerian security agencies, then such action was justifiable, given the threat posed by terrorist groups in the region.

He described terrorists operating in parts of northern Nigeria as “cancerous cells,” stressing that they survive through violence and should be confronted decisively.

Sani also dismissed narratives suggesting that terrorist attacks target only one religious group, describing such claims as false and misleading.

He said: “If actually, the military strikes against the terrorists targets in the North Western part of Nigeria were a joint operation with the ‘Nigerian Authorities’ as posted by the US AFRICOM on their verified X handle, then it’s a conscionable action.

“Terrorists have become cancerous cells in our part of the country.They live by the sword.The narrative that the evil terrorists only targets one faith, remains absolutely false and misleading.

“Again, the ultimate security and peace in our country lies with ourselves and not with the US or any foreign power. They can complimentarily or unilaterally strike, but they can’t eternally fight our battles.”