![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 "Is Anthony Odiong still a priest after life in prison sentence over rape?")
The Abia Police Command has arrested 10 members of a dare-devil armed robbery gang that allegedly robbed a bullion van on July 26 and carted away about N390 million.
The Commissioner of Police, Janet Agbede, said that the suspects belonged to a 14-member gang that specialised in bullion van robbery in different parts of the country.
She said that they were arrested at different times and locations in Abia, Delta, Lagos, Ondo, Rivers and Imo.
Parading the suspects before newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Umuahia on Monday, she said that the arrest was made possible by “a special intelligence, technologically-led investigation squad”.
She said that the squad was set up in the aftermath of the July attack, which occurred at Ntigha Junction on the Isialangwa axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.
“Agbede said:”I carefully studied their modus operandi and set up a special intelligence, technologically-led investigation squad, with a clear directive to arrest and recover weapons used by the deadly armed gang.
“Consequently, the squad systematically commenced operation, applying speed and accuracy.”
According to her, the effort of the squad led to the arrest of the suspects at different locations and days.
Agbede said that the suspects confessed to the crime “In their individual voluntary statements.”
She also said that the suspects confessed to have robbed bullion vans in Ajah in Lagos, Akure Road in Ondo State, Asaba and Mbaise in Imo.
She said the suspects confessed that the Abia attack was executed after they successfully mounted about two months surveillance on the bullion van.
The suspects included Adesoji Adeniyi, aka “Soji”, and Albert Nwachukwu, aka “White”, arrested in Lagos State.
The rest were Nnamdi Nwaosu, aka “Prophet”, Monday Samuel, aka “MD”, and Matthew Christmas, aka “Aluwa”, arrested in Imo, Ondo and Delta, respectively.
Other suspects were two brothers from Abia, Chikwendu and Prosper Israel, who were arrested in Abia.
Prosper told newsmen that he joined his brother in criminal activities after he was dismissed from the Department of State Services.
Weapons recovered from the suspects included one General Purpose Machine Gun with 53 rounds of live ammunition, 13 AK47 rifles with 1,749 live ammunition, two improvised explosive dynamites.
Others were one Cut-to-size double barrel gun with five live cartridges and 84 AK47 magazines.
The operatives also impounded a Mercedes Benz truck allegedly used by the gang to conceal their firearms.
They also recovered N10,184,000 from the suspects out of the N390 million allegedly stolen from the bullion van.
The state police chief said that investigation was still in progress to ensure the arrest of other members of the gang still at large.
NAN recalls that the affected bullion van was conveying cash from a bank in Aba to Umuahia, when it reportedly ran into a blockade mounted by the robbers.
Police confirmed that the robbers shot and killed the bank’s Cash Officer, while three of the escort policemen sustained bullet injuries.
They also confirmed that one of the gunmen was neutralised during the gun battle that ensued.
Agbede has appealed to Abia residents to continue to assist the command with useful and timely information to enable it take proactive steps in fighting crime.
She said that the command had devised strategies to restore adequate security in Umunneochi and other parts of Abia that had become notorious for kidnapping and banditry.
![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 "Is Anthony Odiong still a priest after life in prison sentence over rape?")
