UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council have condemned the assassination of Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, in Ankara on Monday.
Ban and the Council, in separate statements, said there was no justification whatsoever for targeting diplomatic personnel and civilians.
“The Secretary-General is appalled by this senseless act of terror,” according to a statement issued by Ban’s spokesperson, Mr Stephane Dujarric.
The UN chief also expressed his deepest condolences to the family of Amb. Karlov and to the Government and people of the Russia.
Ban said he was “following the unfolding situation closely” and wished those who were reportedly injured in the attack a speedy and full recovery.
In a separate statement, the Security Council, while condemning the deadly terrorist attack, expressed its deep condolences to the family of the ambassador and the Russian Government.
The Council reiterated the need to bring the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of terrorist attacks to justice.
Council members reaffirmed that terrorism in all forms constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable.
The 15-member Council also stressed the fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic agents and consular officers and the obligations.
These include, under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, to take all appropriate steps to prevent any attack on diplomatic agents and consular officers.
![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")