![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 Lagos State Police Command has stated that fans of the late musician Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly called Mohbad, cannot seek the deceased’s corpse.
This comes after fans and friends of the late artist demanded that his body be released for burial.
Chronicle NG reported that Tuesday, November 21, 2023, marked two months since the corpse of the late Mohbad was exhumed and an autopsy was conducted to unravel the cause of the death of the singer.
The police have said the autopsy report is not with them yet.
Benjamin Hundeyin, the state police public relations officer, tweeted in September that an “autopsy has been concluded” and the police were “awaiting results.”
When asked by one of the reporters on Monday about the release of Mohbad’s autopsy report, Hundeyin disclosed that the command had yet to get the report officially.
Hundeyin stated that “the autopsy report has not been given to us. Some people have been carrying rumors that it’s ready. It’s one thing for it to be ready; it’s another thing for it to be given to us officially—that we would receive and sign a copy that we have received it. So, we don’t work with rumors; we work with facts.”
Bella Shmurda, a Nigerian singer, and other netizens and admirers had petitioned the authorities to release Mohbad’s remains.
Olumiyi, Mohbad’s mother, also revealed on Tuesday that she went to the state command last week and was told his late son’s remains were ready for release.
She claimed that the deceased’s father was the reason her late son was not buried, claiming that the police had released the body but were waiting for the family to come and take it for burial.
Olumiyi made this claim in a viral video on Tuesday while appealing to Nigerians for help in obtaining the late singer’s remains from the Lagos State Police Command.
She said, “Nigerians, I cry to you to help demand the release of my son’s corpse. I pray that you will not witness your children’s deaths too.
“Mohbad’s corpse has been released since the completion of the autopsy, but his father has refused to let his corpse be released for burial despite my repeatedly begging him.
“I went to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police last week, and he told me that Mohbad’s remains had been released before now, questioning why we are letting his body waste away and if we are happy that he’s dead,” she added.
“All of you that have gone to exhume Mohbad’s body should wake up now and insist that he should be buried. It is not like I have not been willing to speak out since, but I leave everything to God. All the things the father has been saying are also left to God.”
However, the late singer’s father, Joseph Aloba, stated that no one should collect his son’s body for burial without his permission.
On Sunday, he revealed this in a TikTok video.
“When this boy was alive, he was alive. When he left, he still retained my name. Nobody should go there and take his body, please,” he warned.
His father added, “If they want to do anything there, I’ll be the one to authorize them. Nobody should go and carry MohBad’s body from there.”
When pressed further on Monday about the delay in the autopsy result, Mohbad’s father remained silent.
“For now, I can’t say anything until we have another meeting in court. So, I don’t want to say anything concerning that now,” Aloba said.
During an exclusive chat with one of our correspondents on Monday evening, the police PRO stated that only Mohbad’s family could take his body.
Hundeyin said, “On the issue of the corpse, fans cannot request the corpse, well-wishers cannot request the corpse, only the family can request the corpse, and the family has not done that.”
“They (the family) will request it when they’re ready. If they request it today, they will get it today.”
![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")
