![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 United States (US) military has drawn up contingency plans for possible intervention in Nigeria after former President Donald Trump reportedly ordered preparations for military action to “protect Christians” from Islamic militant attacks.
Defence and security officials confirmed that the Pentagon’s options remain limited and unlikely to resolve the deep-rooted insurgency that has ravaged northern Nigeria for over a decade, claiming thousands of Christian and Muslim lives, The New York Times reports.
Sources said the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, has proposed three military options — light, medium, and heavy — for review by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The light option involves providing intelligence, logistics, and limited joint raids with Nigerian forces. The medium option proposes drone strikes on militant camps and vehicles in the north, while the heavy option would see an aircraft carrier deployed to the Gulf of Guinea for deep airstrikes — a scenario officials describe as “highly improbable.”
A defence official told reporters that anything short of a full-scale Iraq- or Afghanistan-style operation would have little impact. “The American military cannot do much to quell the violence unless it is willing to start an Iraq- or Afghanistan-style campaign,” the source said. “No one is seriously considering that.”
Maj. Gen. Paul D. Eaton, a retired US Army officer who led training missions in Iraq, cautioned that intervention could prove disastrous. “It would be a fiasco,” he warned. “Airstrikes might create shock and awe, but not much more. It’s like pounding a pillow.”
The draft plans reportedly followed Trump’s weekend social media post ordering the “Department of War” to prepare for action. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth swiftly replied, “Yes, Sir,” and instructed AFRICOM to submit operational options.
However, officials acknowledged that Nigeria’s crisis extends beyond religion. “This is not a simple fight between Christians and Muslims,” one national security official said. “It’s a complex mix of insurgency, poverty, and governance issues.”
Complicating matters further, the US recently withdrew from drone bases in Niger, now controlled by Russian forces, forcing reliance on more distant bases in Europe or Djibouti.
Analysts also note that deploying an aircraft carrier to West Africa would strain America’s already stretched naval assets amid commitments in the Pacific and Middle East.
Responding to the reports, Nigeria’s government said it welcomes US support in counterterrorism but insists that “any assistance must respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Despite Trump’s rhetoric, senior US defence officials remain doubtful of any major operation. “We’ve seen this movie before,” one Pentagon insider said. “And it doesn’t end well.”
![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")
