The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered an immediate investigation into allegations that officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) extorted ₦5.2 million from a group of young men traveling from Ekiti to Ondo State.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media, Babatunde Alao, the minister emphasized that any officer found culpable “will face the full weight of the law.”
“We will not tolerate any form of misconduct from our security agencies,” he declared.
“We are building a paramilitary that is disciplined, professional and serve Nigeria and Nigerians with all sense of diginity and patriotism. On this case, we will see that justice is upheld and ensure that security personnel serve with forthrightness.”
The probe comes after a viral social-media post detailed how the NSCDC officers allegedly demanded and collected the ₦5.2 million from the travelers.
Minister Tunji-Ojo’s directive underscores his commitment to accountability within the country’s security apparatus and his resolve to uphold integrity among paramilitary forces.
![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")