![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")
A joint team of officials from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Borno State Ministry of Health discovered many derelict warehouses in Maiduguri’s Gamboru neighbourhood containing pharmaceuticals worth millions of naira.
The warehouses, located in remote and dangerous areas, were utilised to store pharmaceuticals damaged by recent floods.
During a raid on Wednesday, the team, led by Baba Malam Gana, Borno State Commissioner of Health, and Kenneth Azikiwe, NAFDAC’s Director for the North-East, seized the contaminated pharmaceuticals to prevent their sale and distribution.
Prof. Christiana Mojisola Adeyeye, Director General of NAFDAC, directed the raid in order to prevent a public health hazard caused by the sale of flood-damaged pharmaceuticals.
Azikiwe told reporters that the aim was to confiscate and destroy pharmaceuticals impacted by the flood, warning that such products were no longer safe to use due to their degraded quality.
“We are on an evacuation mission to seize and destroy drugs damaged by the flood in the Gamboru market. These drugs are unsafe for consumption and could pose serious public health risks,” Azikiwe said, calling on the public to report anyone attempting to sundry or sell the affected medicines.
Baba Malam Gana, the Borno State Commissioner of Health, stressed the need for adequate drug storage and stated that the state government would endeavour to prevent such risky practices from occurring again in the Gamboru pharmaceutical market.
“Medicines must be stored properly, and we are committed to ensuring that the Gamboru market will not be the same again. We will take immediate action to ensure compliance with safety standards,” Gana stated.
In terms of compensating business owners who have been affected by the confiscation of flood-damaged medicines, Gana stated that the Borno State government, with the cooperation of the Federal Government, will assist.
He cited President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Maiduguri, where he promised to assist flood victims, especially those in the Gamboru market.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured the people of Borno that they will not be left to suffer. Those who lost their businesses, including those in this market, will receive assistance from both the federal and state governments,” Gana said.
Bukar Modu, Chairman of the Gamboru Medicine Market, stated that the market’s leadership is eager to work with the government to ensure public safety.
He stated that people’s health remains their first priority and appealed for financial assistance to minimise the effects of the losses.
“We are fully prepared to cooperate with the government’s directives. Our primary concern is the health of our people, and we hope the government will provide us with the necessary financial support after this process,” Modu said.
![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")
