![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?")
Average price of 5kg cooking gas increased from N4,397.68 in July to N4,456.56 in August.
The assertion was made by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its Cooking Gas Price Watch issued on Tuesday in Abuja.
It noted that the price in August indicated a 1.34 per cent increase on a month-on-month basis from what obtained in July.
“On a year-on-year basis, the August 2022 price was a 101.17 per cent increase over the price of N2,215.33 paid for the same volume of gas in August 2021,’’ it stated.
The report added that Taraba recorded the highest average price of N4,925.44, for 5kg cooking gas, followed by Adamawa where it cost N4,920, and Lagos State where it sold for N4,782.50.
It stated also that Katsina State recorded the lowest price of N4,020 in August, followed by Ogun and Yobe at N4,057.14 and N4,078.46, respectively.
Analysis by geopolitical zones showed that the North-Central recorded the highest average retail price of N4,615.95 for 5kg cooking gas, followed by the North-East at N4,548.03.
The North-West recorded the lowest retail price at N4,285.51.
The NBS reported also that the average retail price of 12.5kg cooking gas increased to 9,899.34 in August 2022 from N9,824.07 in July, representing a 0.77 per cent month-on-month increase.
“On a year-on-year basis, the price rose by 119.26 per cent from N4,514.82 in August 2021,’’ it stated.
The report added that the highest retail price was recorded in Ebonyi at N11,225 for 12.5kg, followed by Cross River at N10,982.14 and Delta at N10,965.42.
The lowest average price was recorded in Katsina State at N8,150, followed by Yobe and Taraba at N8,212.63 and N8,886.30, respectively.
Similarly, kerosene price rose to N809.52 per litre in August, showing a 2.5 per cent increase over the N789.75 for which it was sold in July.
The report noted that on a year-on-year basis, the average retail price per litre of kerosene rose by 102.38 per cent from N400.01 recorded in August 2021
Further analysis showed that the highest average price per litre of kerosene in August 2022 was recorded in Imo at N1083.33, followed by Ekiti at N1,026.92 and Enugu State at N1,017.74.
The report showed that the lowest price was recorded in Nasarawa State at N625, followed by Rivers at N627.45 and Adamawa at N633.33.
Analysis by geopolitical zones showed that the Southeast recorded the highest average retail price per litre at N953.88, followed by the Southwest with N910.85.
“The South-South recorded the lowest average price at N749.51,’’ it stated.
It added that the average retail price per gallon of kerosene in August was N2,947.65, showing an increase of 2.12 per cent from N2,886.41 in July 2022.
According to the report, the August 2022 price was a 122.4 per cent increase over the price N1,325.39 paid in August 2021.
Analysis by states showed that Abuja paid the highest price of N4,050 per gallon of kerosene in August, followed by Abia where it sold at N3,825 and Enugu State at N3,574.52.
Zamfara recorded the lowest price at N2,280 for a gallon of kerosene followed by Lagos State and Benue where it sold at N2,526.32 and N2,566.67, respectively.
The NBS stated that analysis by geopolitical zones showed that the Southeast recorded the highest average retail price per gallon of kerosene at N3,276.78, followed by the Southwest at N3,073.27.
It added that the Northeast recorded the lowest average retail price at N2,687.63 per gallon.
![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?")
