![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-300x200.jpg "Is Anthony Odiong still a priest after life in prison sentence over rape?")
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has condemned the recent massacre of over 160 people in Kwara State, calling the attacks “unacceptable and deeply troubling.”
The federal member claimed that the current wave of violence is a serious danger to national peace and stability.
Her denunciation came in response to a devastating attack on the Woro and Nuku communities in Kwara State’s Kaiama Local Government Area on Tuesday night, in which over 100 people were first believed to have been killed after gunmen stormed the towns.
In a related occurrence, bandits invaded the Abande community in Turan’s Mbaikyor Ward, Kwande Local Government Area, in Benue State, killing numerous people.
The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, later stated that 75 people were killed in the Kaiama incident.
Akpoti-Uduaghan personally released a condolence statement in Abuja on Thursday, expressing condolences with the victims’ families and affected communities, condemning the occurrence as a pointless and terrible loss of life.
While regretting the ongoing carnage, the senator warned that unchecked insecurity might damage national unity, urging governments at all levels to take immediate and decisive action to halt the trend.
She said, “The persistent killings of innocent Nigerians are unacceptable and deeply troubling. My heart goes out to the families who have been plunged into grief by these senseless acts.
“Protecting lives and ensuring justice must be non-negotiable. The safety of our citizens should always be the highest priority of government.”
The congressman also urged federal and state officials to move beyond rhetoric and implement coordinated and practical actions to address the country’s deteriorating security situation.
According to her, timely and transparent investigations into the Kwara attacks are critical for ensuring accountability and restoring public trust in government.
“Those responsible for these attacks must be identified and brought to justice without delay,” she said. “Impunity only emboldens criminal elements and deepens the suffering of our people.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan emphasized that political leaders and security agencies have both constitutional and moral obligations to act decisively to prevent more killing and that intelligence-driven policing and increased community participation are crucial in addressing the fundamental causes of violence.
“These killings underscore the urgent need for a more effective and people-centered security architecture. Our communities deserve to live without fear, and government at all levels must rise to this responsibility,” she said.
![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?")
