The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has urged President Bola Tinubu to take swift and deliberate action to put an end to the attacks and deaths in Benue State.
The Association voiced worry about the lack of a solution to the continued violence in the state and elsewhere in the country, urging the government to uphold its obligation to protect citizens’ lives and property.
Archbishop Daniel Okoh, President of CAN, made the statement on Tuesday in Makurdi while leading a group of Christian leaders on a condolence visit to the government and people of Benue State following the recent armed herdsmen killings.
Represented by the Vice President, Rev. Stephen Baba, the group conveyed their condolences with the state administration and civilians affected by the continuing violence.
Rev. Baba said, “We are deeply concerned that no solution has been found to end the killings in Benue State. We are calling on President Bola Tinubu to take deliberate action to stop the killings.”
He went on to say that the killings in Benue and other states test the government’s capabilities and determination to put an end to the carnage.
In addition to the condolence visit, the delegation distributed humanitarian goods to individuals displaced by the violence in an effort to ease their suffering.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, represented by his deputy, Dr Sam Ode, thanked the Christian leaders for their support, emphasising that the government and people of Benue State truly appreciated it.
The governor bemoaned the state’s struggle with “asymmetric warfare”, where attackers strike and flee without a trace, but vowed that the state would not bow to the criminals.
Alia also revealed that Tinubu had dispatched the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Chief of Naval Staff to the state within a two-week period to address the security challenges.
He urged Christian leaders to continue praying for the state as the administration tries to deliver effective and meaningful leadership.
![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")
