Two people have been killed and five others injured after violence erupted during the All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congress in Idanre, Ondo State.
The bloodshed broke out on Wednesday at Odode-Idanre, headquarters of Idanre Local Government Area, as the ruling party conducted congresses across its 203 wards.
The chaos is believed to be linked to tensions from Tuesday’s disruption at the party’s secretariat in Akure, where suspected hoodlums stormed a stakeholders’ meeting and attacked party leaders.
Among those targeted was Raphael Adetimehin, younger brother of Ade Adetimehin, the state caretaker chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He reportedly sustained machete wounds after attackers allegedly mistook him for his brother.
Eyewitnesses said his vehicle was set ablaze before he was rushed to the General Hospital in Idanre. Police later confirmed that two persons died while three others sustained varying degrees of injuries and are receiving treatment.
Ade Adetimehin alleged the attack was politically motivated and linked to supporters of Tajudeen Adefisoye, a former member of the House of Representatives and ally of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa. The claims have not been independently verified.
The Ondo State Police Command confirmed the incident, stating that five unidentified persons were attacked and a vehicle burnt. Security operatives, led by the Commissioner of Police and the NSCDC commandant, restored order at the scene.
Investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend those responsible for the Idanre APC ward congress violence.
![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")
