![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 "Anthony Odiong: Nigerian Catholic priest sentenced to life in prison over sexual assault")
Canada deported 366 Nigerians from January to October 2025, ramping up its immigration enforcement efforts at the quickest rate seen in more than ten years.
The data, sourced from the Canada Border Services Agency’s removals program statistics, indicated that 974 Nigerians are presently in the “removal in progress” inventory, pending deportation from Canada.
Updated on November 25, 2025, the most recent statistics revealed that Nigeria held the ninth position among the top 10 nationalities deported from Canada, with 974 Nigerians ranked fifth among those pending removal.
An analysis of the data revealed that the number of Nigerian deportations has varied over time.
In 2019, Canada deported 339 Nigerians; this decreased to 302 in 2020, then to 242 in 2021, and to 199 in 2022.
Although Nigeria was absent from the top 10 in 2023 and 2024, it reappeared on the list in 2025, achieving 366 removals within only 10 months.
This indicated an eight percent rise in comparison to the 2019 value.
The deportations occur during Canada’s tough immigration enforcement, with the CBSA currently expelling almost 400 foreign nationals each week, the fastest pace in more than ten years.
In the fiscal year 2024-2025, Canada deported 18,048 individuals, incurring an expense of around $78 million.
According to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is required by law to deport any foreign national who has a valid removal order.
People can be deemed inadmissible and subject to removal for various reasons, such as security issues, violations of human or international rights, criminal activity, organized crime, health concerns, financial issues, misrepresentation, and failure to adhere to immigration regulations.
Most of the individuals being removed, around 83 percent, are unsuccessful refugee claimants whose asylum requests were rejected.
Criminal activities represent roughly four percent of deportations.
Canadian legislation outlines three categories of removal orders: departure orders, mandating individuals to exit within 30 days; exclusion orders, prohibiting re-entry for one to five years; and deportation orders, which permanently prevent individuals from returning unless they receive special permission.
The Canadian government states that it is increasing deportations to strengthen immigration goals and tackle issues related to housing deficits, labor market demands, and border safety.
It also allocated an extra $30.5m over three years to strengthen removal efforts, while pledging $1.3bn to improve border security.
Aisling Bondy, president of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, voiced worry that deportations might increase significantly if Bill C-12, referred to as the ‘border bill,’ is enacted.
“According to Bondy, one provision in that legislation states that many individuals will face a permanent prohibition on submitting asylum applications in Canada.”
Examination of the CBSA data indicated that Nigeria stands as the sole African nation among the top 10 nationalities for deportations in 2025.
Other African countries are classified as “remaining nationals,” totaling 6,233 removals in 2025.
The top 10 countries for removals in 2025 are Mexico (3,972), India (2,831), Haiti (2,012), Colombia (737), Romania (672), the United States (656), Venezuela (562), China (385), Nigeria (366), and Pakistan (359).
In the ongoing removal record, Nigeria (974) stands as the sole African nation featured in the top 10. India tops the inventory with 6,515, trailed by Mexico with 4,650, the United States at 1,704, China with 1,430, Nigeria at 974, Colombia with 895, Pakistan at 863, Haiti with 741, Brazil at 650, and Chile with 621.
Canada continues to be a favored choice for Nigerians in search of improved prospects. Data from the 2021 Canadian census shows that more than 40,000 Nigerians immigrated to Canada from 2016 to 2021, ranking them as the fifth-largest recent immigrant group and the largest African migrant population in Canada.
Information from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada indicated that 6,600 Nigerians became new permanent residents in the initial four months of 2024, ranking Nigerians as the fourth-largest international group to secure permanent residency, following India, the Philippines, and China.
From 2005 to 2024, more than 71,459 Nigerians became Canadian citizens, making Nigeria the 10th largest source country for new Canadians.
Canada’s older demographic and workforce gaps have turned it into a sought-after location for skilled workers and students from Nigeria.
![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 "Anthony Odiong: Nigerian Catholic priest sentenced to life in prison over sexual assault")
