![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")
Sabby Phiri, wife of late Zambian musician Nathan Mithi, has refuted allegations leveled against her in her husband’s suicide note, accusing her of infidelity.
Chronicle NG reports that Mithi, in a suicide note, narrated why he was killing himself due to his wife’s promiscuity.
Phiri, on the other hand, disagreed with her late husband’s suicide note in a post titled “Beyond the accusations: The unseen reality of my story,” saying she had faced spousal abuse throughout her marriage and calling her late husband’s accusation “misguided.”
She stated that her husband’s death had nothing to do with the infidelity he accused her of but rather with his insurmountable debt, which contributed significantly to his sleepless nights and inner turmoil.
“Behind closed doors, I bore the weight of relentless wife battering, a painful truth that remained hidden for far too long. However, it’s crucial to unveil the concealed layers of our story—the ones obscured by accusations and social media narratives.
“It pains me to be implicated in my late husband’s tragic decision when, in truth, his struggles extended far beyond our personal conflicts. One of the overwhelming burdens he faced was an insurmountable amount of debt, contributing significantly to his sleepless nights and inner turmoil.
“Moreover, I was ensnared in a web of blackmail, coerced into silence about the abuse I endured. Threats of tarnishing my reputation and the ultimate ultimatum—”I will end my life and besmirch your name”—haunted me into keeping my suffering veiled.”
Continuing, Phiri said, “When I reached a breaking point and sought liberation from this cycle of torment, he unleashed the bombshell he had concealed for so long. I’m not seeking justification; I’m merely shedding light on the complexities that plagued our relationship.
“The people closest to me, witnesses to the truth I’ve endured, stand as testaments to the trials I faced behind the façade of social media perceptions. Their support and validation remind me that the truth, though obscured, is evident to those who truly know the reality I lived through,” she added.
Phiri begged the public to stop spreading her late husband’s story while seeking empathy, understanding, and recognition that the truth transcends the surface-level perceptions painted by external circumstances.
![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")
