Niger State Police Command has rejected reports that 37 people were killed in Nakundna and Wurukuchi communities in Shiroro Local Government Area.
The police noted that 13 people lost their lives when bandits/terrorists attacked some villagers who were harvesting crops.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Niger Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said: “The Command wishes to state that, on January 10, at about 10 in the morning, suspected bandits/terrorists stormed Nakundna Village near Kaure in Shiroro Local Government Area, and unfortunately, 13 people, who were harvesting in their farms, lost their lives as a result of the attack.
“However, the police command swiftly deployed tactical teams to the scene led by Area Commander for Shiroro as details of the incident were not immediately available due to the rough terrain and lack of communication network in the area.”
The command added that the Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command, CP Monday Bala Kuryas hereby condoles with the families of the victims and reassures Nigerians that the police and other security agencies will not relent in the ongoing onslaught against banditry and other forms of criminalities in the state.
He equally advised reporters to avoid rushing to publish stories without adequate verification to avoid causing panic and public outrage.
![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")
