President Bola Tinubu has written to the Senate to request confirmation of the Chief of Defense Staff and Service Chiefs appointments.
While reading the notification at the start of Plenary on Tuesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio noted that it is in accordance with the terms of the Armed Forces Act.
This is Tinubu’s first message to the 10th Senate, which was inaugurated on June 13, 2023.
It will be remembered that on June 19, 2023, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, announced the sacking of all the Service Chiefs as well as the Inspector General of Police.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the immediate retirement of all Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police, Advisers, and Comptroller-General of Customs from Service as well as their replacements with immediate effect”, the SGF stated.
In a letter addressed to the Upper Chamber of the legislative house, Tinubu sought the confirmation of the newly appointed Service Chiefs.
The Service Chiefs include; Maj. Gen. C.G. Musa, Chief of Defense Staff; Maj. Gen. T. A. Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral E. A. Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff; AVM H.B. Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff; DIG Kayode Egbetokun, Acting Inspector-General of Police; and Maj. Gen. EPA Undiandeye, Chief of Defense Intelligence.
![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")