![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")
The presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Coalition, NDC, Peter Obi, on Saturday formally accepted his nomination as the presidential candidate of the party.
Obi also unveiled an ambitious reform agenda aimed at confronting Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, economic stagnation, and infrastructure deficit, including a pledge to raise electricity generation to 10,000 megawatts within four years.
Obi made the pledge during his acceptance speech delivered in Abuja after emerging as the party’s flag bearer, where he expressed gratitude to party leaders and delegates for what he described as their confidence in his leadership capacity.
“It is with deep humility that I accept the role of presidential candidate for our party. I express my profound gratitude to the leaders of our party, His Excellency Seriake Dickson, the National Chairman, the National Secretary, the National Working Committee members, our relentless supporters, and the Nigerian populace who have steadfastly kept the spirit of hope alive,” he said.
He stated that Nigeria was currently at a difficult crossroads marked by insecurity, economic hardship, and declining public confidence in governance.
According to the former Anambra State governor, the situation had created widespread disillusionment across communities and businesses, though he insisted that the country still had the capacity for recovery if leadership choices improved.
“Businesses are struggling, communities are suffering, and an alarming number of citizens have lost faith in the very concept of governance.
“Yet, I stand before you filled with optimism and strong faith in the resilience of our people, for I firmly believe that a new Nigeria is possible,” he said.
Obi emphasized that Nigeria’s diversity should be seen as a strength rather than a fault line, warning against deepening ethnic, religious, and regional divisions.
Speaking on insecurity, the NDC presidential candidate said Nigeria’s security challenges had deteriorated significantly in recent years, citing global rankings that placed the country among the worst affected by terrorism.
He said, “In terms of security, the situation in Nigeria has considerably worsened. The global terrorism impact assessments ranked Nigeria as the 8th most affected nation in 2022, 6th in 2024, and 4th in 2026.”
He did, however, draw a comparison between Nigeria’s current condition and its previous engagement in international peacekeeping missions, in which its military was once respected around the world.
The former governor mentioned Nigeria’s contributions to global missions in other countries and lauded the history of Nigerian military leadership in foreign operations.
Obi promised that his administration would prioritize security measures.
“We must address insecurity with resolve and urgency, for no nation can thrive while its citizens live in trepidation.
The primary responsibility of government is to ensure the safeguarding of lives and property,” he said.
He pledged an intelligence-driven and technology-supported security framework aimed at tackling both immediate threats and underlying causes such as poverty and unemployment.
Speaking on health, Obi decried Nigeria’s poor indicators, particularly infant mortality and low health insurance penetration, promising major reforms.
“Nigeria suffers from one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world. Furthermore, health insurance coverage in Nigeria hovers around a mere 10 per cent, in stark contrast to countries like Indonesia, which boast over 90 per cent coverage.
“This situation is regrettable. I pledge that within four years, our health insurance coverage will more than double to over 20 percent,” he said.
Speaking on energy, Obi described Nigeria’s electricity crisis as a major constraint to development, noting the gap between Nigeria and other comparable economies.
“Nigeria today is the nation with the highest number of citizens lacking access to electricity globally. We currently generate and distribute a mere 4,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity for a population exceeding 200 million,” he said.
The former Labour Party chieftain compared Nigeria’s output with that of other countries to underline the scale of the challenge.
Obi then made a major campaign promise, saying, “Over the next four years, I commit to ensuring a minimum of 10,000 MW power increase in generation and distribution.”
The NDC candidate also addressed unemployment, claiming that official data do not accurately reflect Nigeria’s labor market crisis.
He promised targeted support for small businesses and youth-led enterprises, as well as changes to cut corruption and governance expenses.
![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")
