![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 "Is Anthony Odiong still a priest after life in prison sentence over rape?")
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says women in Nigeria continue to be underrepresented at all levels of government.
This was contained in the NBS Statistical Report on Women and Men in Nigeria 2021, which was released on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to the report, despite all attempts to increase female participation in politics and decision-making, women continue to have poor representation at all tiers and levels of governance.
According to the report, women have never been nominated as Secretary to the Federation’s Government. It further stated that women had not been elected as President or Vice-President since the country’s independence and return to democracy in 1999 till the most recent election in 2019.
NBS added that they constituted almost half of the electorate in Africa’s biggest economy.
According to the report, the highest representation in the National Parliament (7.2%) was registered between 2007 and 2011.
“It was 6.6% from 2011 to 2015 and again from 2015 to 2019.”
According to the report, six women and 73 males held key roles in the Senate in 2016 and 2017.
“The number of principal officers in 2018 and 2019 is the same: seven women and 72 men.”
“In 2019, only nine females out of 106 members of the House of Representatives held key positions.”
According to the report, just six served as committee chairpersons each year from 2016 to 2019, while a woman served as Minority Senate Leader in the Senate in 2018 and 2019.
Women make up 6.2 per cent of the National Parliament (National Assembly) in 2019, while men make up 93.8 per cent, the NBS revealed.
According to the NBS, statistics from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) indicated the number of male and female Ministers appointed between 2016 and 2019.
“In 2016 seven females were appointed, this decreased in 2017 to five females.
“Female ministers appointed in 2018 were six and in 2019, only seven were among the 43 appointed ministers.”
According to the report, 31.87 and 31.98 percent of National Judicial Officers in Nigeria were female in 2016 and 2017, respectively, while 28.86 percent were female in 2018.
It stated that from 2016 to 2018, no female served as Chief Justice of Nigeria, President of the National Industrial Court, or Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court.
“For the same period, females had been the President of the Court of Appeal (National Judicial Council).
![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 "Is Anthony Odiong still a priest after life in prison sentence over rape?")
