The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed on Monday the rescue of 15 more people in the ongoing operation following Sunday’s tragic boat crash in Kojiyo village, Goronyo Local Government Area, Sokoto State.
Manzo Ezekiel, NEMA’s Head of Press Unit, said in a statement on Monday that the latest rescue upped the total number of survivors to 25, with another 25 still missing.
According to the announcement, NEMA Director General Mrs Zubaida Umar informed the public that rescue operations would continue and be strengthened until all missing persons were rescued.
“Recall that the ill-fated canoe, carrying over 50 passengers en route to Goronyo Market, capsized in Kojiyo village on Sunday. Initial operations had led to the rescue of 10 passengers, while the intensified efforts yielded an additional 15 rescues. Authorities also recovered seven motorcycles from the river.
“To enhance the effectiveness of the operation, the management of Goronyo Dam has temporarily closed the dam for two days, allowing divers and rescuers greater access to the affected area,” it stated.
It stated that the NEMA rescue team, led by the Head of the Agency’s Sokoto Operations Office, Mr Aliyu Shehu Kafindangi, remained fully deployed at the scene.
“The team is working in close collaboration with the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency, National Inland Waterways Authority, Goronyo Local Government Authority, and local divers to sustain the coordinated search and rescue operations.
“The Director-General, Mrs Zubaida Umar, reaffirmed NEMA’s unwavering commitment to saving lives, supporting affected families, and providing timely updates to the public,” it added.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Is Anthony Odiong still a priest after life in prison sentence over rape?")
