![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")
President Bola Tinubu on Saturday underlined his commitment to national unity, assuring Christian communities in northern Nigeria that his administration is committed to fairness and inclusivity for people of all faiths.
According to a statement published by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Tinubu made the assurance at a meeting with Christian leaders at the Church of Christ in Nations headquarters in Jos, Plateau State.
“I have a mission to unite this country and ensure its prosperity, and we are making progress,” the President said.
While paying tribute to the late Nana Lydia Yilwatda Goshwe, mother of All Progressives Congress National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, who died at the age of 83, Tinubu cited his own family’s religious diversity as evidence of his appreciation for all faiths.
“In our family, we have a strong Muslim background, and I married a Christian—a pastor, for that matter—and I have never forced her to change her religion,” he stated.
He asked clerics to maintain trust in his administration, emphasizing that leaders have a common obligation to manage religious matters for the good of all Nigerians.
Tinubu also reaffirmed his government’s commitment to ending insecurity and revitalizing the country’s economy.
“We are defeating bandits, and we will defeat them. We will deal with them and end the farmers-herders clashes,” he said, adding that ongoing economic reforms were designed to improve the welfare of all citizens.
Tinubu described the deceased as a devoted mother and humanitarian whose life reflected deep faith and service to her community.
Reflecting on his political journey, Tinubu recalled his past association with Plateau State, saying, “When we were coming here, Governor Caleb Mutfwang showed me one of the bungalows—the house of Ambassador Yahaya Kwande. During the SDP days, we met there to decide the fate of MKO Abiola. Today, I am grateful to be alive, and to God be the glory, to be President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to come here to bid farewell to a mother of the community.”
The chief mourner and APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, described his late mother as an industrious woman who relied on medication for 47 years.
“I am here to thank God for her life. My mother worked for twenty-four hours despite her health condition, supporting us and providing humanitarian assistance,” Yilwatda said.
He thanked the president for appointing him as APC National Chairman and promised to preserve the trust placed in him.
The President and Spiritual Leader of the Church of Christ in Nations, COCIN, Reverend Dr. Amos Mohzo, who spoke on behalf of the clergymen, thanked Tinubu for his support of northern Christians, particularly through key appointments such as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and APC National Chairman.
Mohzo also praised the president’s response to insecurity in Plateau and Benue states, as well as his request for aid to victims of North-Central conflicts.
He encouraged the Federal Government to enable the safe return of Christian communities uprooted by militants in Borno and Adamawa and currently seeking safety in Cameroon.
The COCIN president told the president that the church fully supports his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The funeral prayer was attended by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; APC governors; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri; Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh; and Minister of Special Duties, Zephaniah Jisalo.
Also present were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and his predecessor, Boss Mustapha, as well as former governors Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Adamu Mu’azu (Bauchi), Fidelis Tapgun (Plateau), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), and Rochas Okorocha (Imo).
Members of the APC National Working Committee, senators, members of the House of Representatives, former House Speaker Yakubu Dogara, and directors from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs were also in attendance.
![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")
