![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’s National Working Committee, led by Tanimu Turaki, has filed an appeal against the Federal High Court’s decision to cancel the party’s November 2025 convention and recognize a caretaker committee led by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike.
Turaki told journalists on Friday that, despite the court verdict, the party remains legally intact and unshaken while it awaits the decision of the appeal courts.
Earlier on Friday, the Federal High Court in Ibadan annulled the PDP National Convention, which was held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15, 2025.
The court also ordered Turaki and others to stop portraying themselves as PDP national officers.
Justice Uche Agomoh also ordered that the caretaker committee chaired by Mohammed Abdulrahman and Samuel Anyanwu is the only recognized National Working Committee of the PDP till a genuine national convention is held.
The PDP governors had supported the Ibadan convention, which elected Turaki and other NWC members to four-year terms.
Wike, together with Abdulrahman and Anyanwu, insisted on remaining in their positions as interim national chairman and national secretary, respectively.
Although the governors ensured a smooth transition from former PDP National 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, Anyanwu, and others with a 60-day mandate.
As a result, both the governors’ faction and the Wike-aligned camp have sought recognition for their leadership from the Independent National Electoral Commission, which has thus far declined to do so.
As a result, many judicial cases have been filed to address the disagreement ahead of the 2027 general election.
Turaki, however, condemned the decision as an intellectual exercise, urging the Court of Appeal to consolidate all pending party-related issues into a single binding verdict for all parties.
Turaki stated that the NWC had filed a Notice of Appeal and a Motion for Stay of Execution and will follow the case to its lawful end.
He added that they proceeded to court to obtain an injunction of mandamus requiring the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognize the Ibadan Convention and allow official party interactions with the Commission.
Turaki said, “More importantly, the judgment is in material conflict with subsisting orders and previous judgments of courts of coordinate jurisdiction.
“Consequently, we have filed a Notice of Appeal as well as a Motion for Stay of Execution of the judgement, and we are determined to pursue this matter diligently and to its logical conclusion in accordance with the law.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this judgment is only one among several decisions of the Federal High Court on this subject matter, and the core issues arising therefrom are already before the Court of Appeal. In that sense, this particular judgment is, technically speaking, academic, pending the authoritative pronouncement of the appellate courts.
“Let me assure all members of our great party that, notwithstanding this judgment, the National Working Committee produced by the Ibadan Convention remains legally intact, firmly in place, and fully committed to the ongoing rebirth of the Peoples Democratic Party.”
Turaki urged PDP members and supporters around the country to remain calm and steadfast, emphasizing that there was no cause to be concerned, and reaffirmed that the Rebirth movement was moving forward steadily.
When asked if he was concerned about the PDP issues pending in the Appeal Court, Turaki stated that he was not, adding that the counsel for both parties had filed their briefs on schedule.
He stated, “There are more than two matters pending before the Court of Appeal. First, there is the judgment of Justice Lifu. There is also the judgment of Justice Omotosho and another judgment given by Justice Abdulmalik. In all these three matters, we were sued and defended those cases. We have appealed against the orders made against the party in those cases.
“On whether there is concern that the appeals have not yet been heard, there is no concern. There are processes required before an appeal is ready for hearing. Each party must be given a fair hearing and must file briefs within the time stipulated by law.
“Counsel on both sides have commendably compressed the time for filing briefs and complied promptly. All briefs are now in the court files. Sometimes replies are also required, and those will be filed as needed.
“There are many appeals ready for hearing in the Abuja Division. The court previously implemented a special plan in the Lagos Division, where multiple panels were set up and over 500 appeals were disposed of. There are also over 400 appeals ready in Abuja, and it is hoped that similar special panels will be created there. If that happens, this political case should receive priority.
“It is also desirable that the appeals be consolidated so that one binding judgment will apply to all parties. Many of the PDP cases are interconnected, and determination of the key issues in one will likely resolve the others and bring closure to related matters pending in various courts across Nigeria. We are hopeful that the Court of Appeal will soon constitute a panel to hear and determine all these appeals.”
![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")
