![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 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has set a new start date for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations. (UTME).
The board made the announcement in Abuja on Sunday in a statement signed by its Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr Fabian Benjamin.
Benjamin said that the UTME, which was previously planned to begin on April 29, will now begin on April 25, 2023.
He also said that the board’s rescheduled mock-UTME will take place on April 18, 2023.
“It should be noted that JAMB previously held its 2023 Mock-UTME on Thursday, March 30 in 725 locations across the country.”
“However, the exercise encountered some technical difficulties in some centers, denying some candidates the opportunity to sit for the examination.”
“The board’s mock examination was designed to test its own and its partners’ readiness for the UTME, as well as to give prospective candidates hands-on experience with the CBT test environment.”
“As a result, the mock examination has been rescheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 18, in order to give those candidates who were unable to sit for the examination due to no fault of their own the opportunity to take the examination,” he stated.
Candidates who were present and vetted for the test but were unable to sit for it were rescheduled to repeat the mock examination on April 18.
As a consequence, Benjamin said that the results of the applicants who passed the mock test on March 30 had been disclosed.
He also said that the board has moved the date of its 2023 UTME, which was previously slated for Saturday, April 29, to Tuesday, April 25.
He said that the change in the UTME date was made to meet certain other vital and essential national duties.
“The board hopes that by doing so, no citizen will be denied the opportunity to exercise their civic responsibilities.”
” It should be noted that the board does not have the option of moving its test ahead since other public exams are scheduled to begin in early May 2023.
“Yet another factor is the need to accommodate those institutions with a stable academic calendar so that they can resume as planned,” he said.
He said that the board will continue to collaborate with appropriate government organisations to ensure that its candidates received the best possible care.
He said that the board sought everyone’s understanding as it carried out its vital task.
![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")
