![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 Peoples Democratic Party’s 2023 governorship candidate in Lagos State, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, also known as Jandor, has said that the PDP has become too toxic as a result of recurrent internal disputes.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Jandor, who left the PDP on Monday, cited a leadership crisis at the party’s national headquarters as a significant cause for his departure.
Umar Damagum, the acting National Chairman, has come under fire from party members, many of whom blame him for the PDP’s deteriorating fortunes following the departure of Iyorchia Ayu.
Senator Samuel Anyanwu and former National Youth Leader Sunday Ude-Okoye are both vying for the position of National Secretary, exacerbating the crisis.
Tensions between the Board of Trustees, National Working Committee, and National Executive Committee have further divided the party, especially in the South-South, where a Zonal Congress was convened on February 22 without the governors’ agreement.
Jandor called the instability at both the national and state levels extremely harmful to the PDP’s public image.
“Who goes around posting that they are a member of PDP these days? With what is happening at both the national and state levels, the optics are bad. Even the party itself has given up,” he said.
“A political party is made up of people who come together to build it. But if toxicity persists within the system, the same problems will remain. Today, those who once worked against the PDP are the ones leading it. So where do we start from?”
He further opined that with congresses scheduled for 2025 and primary elections in 2026, the PDP will likely remain under the control of the same individuals, making any real change impossible.
“If you still have the same set of people in charge, you can’t expect different results,” he added.
Following his resignation from the party, Jandor said he had not yet decided on his next political move.
“We have 18 political parties in Nigeria, so there are 17 other options. But we will consult and decide. There are also coalitions forming, with people coming together to explore new possibilities,” he said.
He stressed that, regardless of where he ends up, he will respect the leadership and rules of any new party he joins.
“This is the path we have chosen, and we are not deviating. Only God determines the future,” he said.
![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?")
