An elderly man, Musa Sulaiman, and his daughter (names withheld), on Wednesday dragged one Umar Salisu, a tricycle rider, to a Shari’a court sitting at Rigasa, Kaduna for allegedly impregnating the daughter.
The two plaintiffs who spoke through their counsel, Bar. Kabir Alhassan, said Salisu had promised to marry the second plaintiff after the incident but failed to do so after she had been delivered of her baby.
“Two years ago, the defendant approached the first plaintiff with a request to allow him court his daughter who was 16 years old at that time.
“The father of the second plaintiff gave consent and permission to the defendant and the defendant started coming to the house to meet the girl in her mother’s room,” he said.
He stated that the defendant had promised the second plaintiff marriage and impregnated her during courtship while the father was not aware until the pregnancy was seven months old.
He added that the defendant who was approached by the first plaintiff, confessed and admitted that he was responsible and promised to marry her after delivery.
Bar. Alhassan explained that the defendant later denied paternity of the baby and refused to fulfill his promise of marrying the second plaintiff.
“We are praying court to compel the defendant to fulfill his promise and undertaking of marrying the second plaintiff since no one is willing to marry her due to the incident,” he prayed.
In his defense, the defendant’s counsel, Bar. I. H. Yahya, denied the allegation, saying his client was not responsible for the pregnancy and had not promised the second plaintiff marriage.
The Judge, Abubakar Salisu-Tureta, adjourned the matter to December 5 for the plaintiffs to present witnesses.
![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")
