![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?")
Police authorities in Lagos State have arrested a suspect carjacker and recovered the vehicle.
This was revealed in a statement released to the press by the spokesperson of the Zone 2 Command Headquarters in Onikan, Lagos, Hauwa Idris Adamu.
She explained that the arrest followed intel the zone got on July 22, 2023.
“On the 22nd of July 2023 at about 12:50 am, intel was received by the AIG Zone 2, Muhammed Ali Ari, that along Fagba Abule Egba Area, one suspect, Olamide Tailor, and his friend Habeeb, now at large, stopped a Corolla Saloon car, ash in color, driven by an Uber driver, one Mr. Gbadamosi Adewale. The suspect told the driver to drop them off at Fela’s Shrine, Ikeja,” the statement read.
“While on their way, they ordered the driver to turn back to where he picked them up under the pretense that Habeeb had forgotten his phone at the hotel. The Uber driver obliged.
“When the Uber driver stopped at the point he picked them up, one of the suspects, Habeeb, who is now at large, came out of the car pretending to be on a call and later came back into the car and sat behind the driver.
“At this time he had ground pepper in his hand. He subsequently applied the pepper to the victim’s eyes, which forced him (the driver) to jump out of the car, shouting ‘thief, thief, and Olamide Tailor took over the car and drove away.
“Consequently, on receipt of the information, the AIG, Ari Mohammed Ali (FCIA PCS), swung into action and detailed a team of detectives from the monitoring unit who immediately tracked the said car and apprehended one of the suspects who is currently giving useful information on the matter.
“In the interim, an investigation is ongoing. The arrested suspect will be arraigned in a court of competent jurisdiction at the conclusion of our investigation.”
The police are therefore calling on the public, particularly commercial drivers, to always monitor the antics of their passengers with sinister intentions.
![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?")
