The Stefanos Foundation, a non-governmental organisation focused on human rights and peace building, has produced a report stating that 217 attacks from 34 states were registered in Nigeria between January and April 2023, resulting in 1,872 deaths, 714 abductions, and 65 injured people.
The report emphasised the critical need for immediate action to address the root causes of the violence.
Ms. Fatima Njoku, Advocacy Manager at Stefanos Foundation, stated during a press conference in Abuja on Friday that the worrisome upsurge in violence throughout the country is cause for concern, particularly given that Nigeria is not at war.
She said, “A situation where armless, defenceless people are attacked in the middle of the night, killed with guns and machetes, houses burned down with their property looted, and entire communities wholly displaced is unacceptable in any civilised clime. It is even worse when the attackers are not apprehended, let alone prosecuted.
“From eyewitness reports and testimonies of direct victims across the board, we can say that the attacks are carried out in literally the same style, with attackers dressed in similar fashion and victims with similar profiles.
“This has happened in Agatu, Guma, Logo in Benue State, Kagoro, Zangon Kataf, Kajuru, Kafanchan in southern Kaduna, Bassa, Riyom, Barkin Ladi, and now Mangu in Plateau State, and the list goes on.”
During the joint press conference, Chief Joseph Gwankat, National President of the Mwaghavul Development Association, asked for prompt action to solve the violence in their villages.
He emphasised the severity of the violence and the importance of the government addressing the root causes.
![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")
