![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 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, explained their absence from the party’s national secretariat on Monday, citing ongoing administrative and security processes surrounding the facility’s reopening.
Jungudo Mohammed, National Publicity Secretary of the National Caretaker Committee, told reporters in an interview that accusations that the police denied their request to access the secretariat were false.
Mohammed said, “I am not aware that the police declined our request, and I do not believe that is true. The police are the appropriate authority to confirm why the secretariat has not yet been opened, and we cannot force them.
“They are still carrying out their administrative and security processes before taking final action. However, we are certain that the secretariat will be reopened.
“The police must open the secretariat because they are required to comply with the court order. The closure resulted from disagreements within the party over who constitutes the genuine leadership, but that matter has already been settled by the court.
“Therefore, the police are expected to reopen the secretariat to allow for the lawful activities and business of the political party.
“It is not true that the police declined our request; what we know is that they intend to reopen it once their internal processes are concluded.”
Speaking on their next steps if the police failed to reopen Wadata Plaza, Mohammed said, “We are law-abiding people and leaders, and we will continue to engage the police respectfully to understand any delays and address any concerns they may have.
“We will not resort to violence or unlawful actions. The police are a law-enforcement agency and must comply with court orders, and we are confident it will not escalate to any conflict.
“What we know for certain is that the secretariat will be reopened for party activities. The exact date for reopening is not yet known because administrative processes sometimes face delays, even after tentative timelines are given.
“Nonetheless, once those processes are completed soon, we remain optimistic that the secretariat will be reopened.”
On Sunday, the Wike-backed PDP camp and the Tanimu Turaki (SAN)-led NWC clashed over the planned reopening of the secretariat.
While the Wike-backed camps insisted on taking over the headquarters, the Turaki camp, led by Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), stated that the police would be held accountable if anything happened at the party headquarters.
On January 30, 2026, a Federal High Court in Ibadan invalidated the PDP National Convention conducted on November 15, 2025, and prevented Turaki (SAN) and numerous other candidates chosen during the poll from presenting themselves as national party officers.
Prior to the verdict, the PDP governors had supported the Ibadan convention, which elected Turaki and the National Working Committee members to four-year terms.
While the governors oversaw the transition from former Chairman Umar Damagum to Turaki before Damagum’s term expired on December 9, the Wike-aligned faction formed a 13-member caretaker committee on December 8, appointing Abdulrahman Mohammed as acting national chairman, Samuel Anyanwu as acting national secretary, and other officials on a 60-day basis.
Efforts by both factions to hold a meeting at Wadata Plaza on November 18, 2025, resulted in violence, and the police sealed the PDP National Headquarters, which had been closed for about three months.
Following the verdict of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, which favored the Wike camp, the party promised to convene another convention to nominate new party officials.
INEC then invited the Wike-backed faction to represent the PDP in accordance with the court decision.
At the meeting, Anyanwu declared that the Wadata Plaza Secretariat will be reopened for their use on Monday, something the Turaki-led NWC strongly opposed.
![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")
