Former chairmen from 21 of Rivers State’s 23 local government areas protested on Monday in their respective council regions.
Former council chiefs loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, protested in their local councils despite the state Police Command’s advice against protests.
Former Chairman Onengiyeofori George and his followers marched through Buguma, the council headquarters of the Asari-Toru LGA, gyrating to songs in solidarity with Wike.
They held posters with inscriptions urging the police to continue occupying the municipal headquarters. Several of the inscriptions read, “Sim Fubara Can’t Continue to Act As He Likes” and “There’s No Vacancy in Asari-Toru Council.”.
According to Channels Television, the protest in Asari-Toru LGA nearly became violent when several men thought to be operatives of Asari Dokubo’s private military business, Amama troops, attempted to attack the protestors.
The Amama soldiers were quickly detained by highly vigilant police officers. The demonstrators later handed over a protest letter to the police.
A demonstration was also held in Abonnema, the headquarters of the Akuku-Toru LGA council, in support of the police’s continuing closure of government offices.
Recall that the police seized over the 23 LGA council secretariats in the oil-rich South-South last Tuesday, following a crisis sparked by the former LGA chairmen’s three-year mandate expiration. Following the crisis, three deaths were recorded.
![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")
