![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 "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
Nigerians are faced with a price hike for bread, a staple food in nearly every home.
Checks showed that one of the most popular foods is scarce as fuel. While the commodity is rare, its prices have skyrocketed.
Many of the residents could no longer afford their darling food and, as such, turned to other not-too-cheap alternatives like noodles, millet porridge, bean cake, among others.
The commodity prices have also increased by 20 to 40 percent.
Many shop owners and consumers have vehemently lamented the obnoxious development, appealing for urgent action to redress the ugly trend.
One of the bakers in Kaduna said, “It is not that we are on strike, but we have had to stop production since July 1, 2024. This unfortunate development was necessitated by the scarcity of wheat flour and its high cost, as well as sugar, oil, and other additives.
“For instance, in June, we were buying a 50-kg bag of flour for between N53,000 and N55,000, which has regrettably skyrocketed to between N67,000 and N70,000.”
The baker added, “How can we produce bread and also break even in this precarious situation?”
Some sellers and consumers in Kaduna State decried the scarcity of the meal around the state metropolis, saying that it had affected their businesses and daily lives.
Haidar Basiru, a tea and bread seller, said he usually bought 100 loaves, but due to the ongoing lack, he could get only 30 loaves, which had already been finished.
“The bakeries are saying they are on strike due to a hike in flour and sugar. This development has seriously affected our businesses, as we usually operate in the mornings and evenings.
“But, from the look of things, we may not come out in the evening due to a bread shortage. In fact, most of my colleagues operating around this axis in Kasuwan Barci have not opened today,” Mr. Basiru said.
Kafayat Sadiq, a provisions seller, stated that she could not get bread to stock in her shop since Tuesday, saying that her supplier complained about the high cost of flour.
Abdullahi Muhammad, a consumer, said, “I went to the shop in the morning to buy bread, which would be eaten as breakfast in my house, but unfortunately, I couldn’t get it.
”I had to buy spaghetti for the children to eat and go to school since there is no bread. I hope the issue will be resolved soon.”
A resident of Funtua, Funtua LGA in Katsina, Aliyu Idris, stated that the commodity prices have also increased.
He said, ”For instance, a loaf of bread that was selling for between N200 and N400 before now goes for N400. This has affected all the sizes of the bread.”
Mr. Idris also stated that tea sellers and shop owners were now finding it very hard to get the commodity for sale to their customers.
A Kano resident, Haruna Salisu, corroborated the unfortunate scenarios in Kaduna and Katsina States, saying, “A loaf of bread formerly selling for N600 now goes for N800. Also, a loaf of sliced bread that was selling for N1,200 before is now selling for N1,600.”
![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")
