![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 "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
Ose Oyamendan, a Nigerian-American filmmaker, is set to release a documentary on the life and political struggle of the late MKO Abiola.
Abiola was widely regarded as the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election, which is adjudged Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll.
The documentary, titled MKO, chronicles the annulment of the June 12 election, the pro-democracy struggle that followed, and Abiola’s death while in military custody.
The film features interviews with key figures connected to the events, including former head of state Ibrahim Babangida; Humphrey Nwosu, former chairman of the National Electoral Commission; Baba Gana Kingibe, Abiola’s running mate; Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate and activist; Peter Hain, former British minister for Africa; Olusegun Obasanjo, former president; Gerald Ohlsen, former Canadian high commissioner; Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, retired army officer and pro-democracy advocate; Robin Gorham, former British deputy high commissioner; and Abdulsalami Abubakar, former head of state.
MKO is directed by Oyamendan and produced by an international team that includes Mark Jonathan Harris, a three-time Academy Award–winning documentary filmmaker, and Veronique Bernard.
Speaking on the project in a statement on Saturday, Oyamendan described the documentary as long overdue.
“It’s been a long time coming. This is an extraordinary story, and we’re excited to finally begin sharing it with the world,” he said.
Bernard said the release of the teaser marks the first public glimpse of the film after an intentionally quiet post-production phase.
“This is just the first step. We’re preparing to launch a festival run that we hope will lead to theatrical and streaming distribution,” she said.
“Releasing the trailer now felt like the right way to reintroduce the project and offer a taste of what’s to come.”
Several years in the making, MKO draws on rare archival footage and firsthand accounts to examine one of Africa’s most significant democratic struggles.
The documentary is expected to premiere later in the year.
![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 "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
