Four of the five suspects standing trial for the alleged murder of Sunday Joshua, a security guard at the New Trafford Hotels and Suites in Bauchi state have tested positive for COVID-19.
The arraignment of the five accused, which include the Managing Director of the hotel, Innocent Ejeh, at the Chief Magistrate Court 7, Yelwa, on Wednesday, was stalled following a letter written to the court that four accused persons, Abdul-Rasheed Shuaibu, Jacob Joshua, Joshua Ibrahim and Timothy Yunusa, were confirmed positive.
Innocent Ejeh and the four others are standing trial for criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide in accordance with sections 96 and 221 of the Penal Code laws.
The trial Magistrate, Safiya Salihu, read the letter from the state Correctional Centre dated June 11th, 2020.
According to him, the four accused were confirmed positive for coronavirus by the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) in the state.
He adjourned the case to July 14 for further mentioning and arraignment as requested by the prosecution Police Officer, Sergeant Ayuba who pleaded for adjustment.
The Prosecution Officer told the court that the accused persons could not be in court due to the reasons stated in the letter from the Correctional centre in Bauchi.
![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")
