![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")
Yahaya Bello, the immediate past governor of Kogi State, is currently in hiding and on Monday cancelled his trip to Okene town in order not to “expose” himself to operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who are on the lookout for him.
Top government sources said Yahaya Bello was still at the Government House, Lokoja, where he could enjoy the “protection” of his predecessor and godson, Usman Ododo, while other sources claimed his whereabouts are unknown.
The EFCC concluded plans to probe Yahaya Bello for alleged fraud and corrupt practices he was involved in during his eight-year tenure.
It had been learned that the commission would invite Yahaya Bello for questioning to account for his eight years of administration.
Chronicle NG reported on Saturday how Bello’s tenure ended as the youngest governor in Kogi State as Usman Ododo, his godson, succeeded him.
A top source said, “EFCC is currently after Yahaya Bello. He was meant to go to Okene, but when he heard of their presence, he cancelled it and is hiding in Government House, Lokoja, currently, Saharareporters reported Tuesday.”
“He’s clearly attempting to evade arrest, and he may have also left the Government House,” another source said.
It had been reported that Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, struck out the commission’s suit seeking the forfeiture of 14 properties belonging to Yahaya Bello as well as the sum of N400 million linked to him, citing his immunity from prosecution under the 1999 constitution.
The Commission’s notice of appeal stated that Justice Oweibo erred in law when he dismissed the suit because the respondent’s immunity from civil or criminal proceedings during his tenure as governor of Kogi State does not extend to properties reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime traced to him.
To add to that, it said the court made a mistake and harmed justice by not following the Court of Appeal’s decision in EFCC v. Fayose (2018) LPELR 44131 CA and the Supreme Court’s decision in Fawehinmi v. IGP (2002) 7 NWLR (PT767) 606 about how to correctly interpret Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution.
The EFCC also said that the trial court made a legal mistake when it overturned a preservation order for properties that were thought to have been bought with money from illegal activities, even though the respondent had not shown where the money that was used to buy the properties under the preservation order really came from.
On Wednesday, February 22, 2023, Justice Oweibo granted an interim forfeiture of the properties in Lagos, Abuja, and the United Arab Emirates and also ordered the preservation of the sum of N400,000,000.00 (four hundred million naira) recovered from one Aminu Falala, which “is reasonably suspected to have been derived from unlawful activity and intended to be used for the acquisition of Plot No. 1224 Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria.”
Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, counsel to the EFCC, moved the application, stating that the properties, including “Hotel Apartment Community, Burj Khalifa lying, being and situate at, Plot 160 Municipality NO 345-7562, Sky View Building No 1, Property No 401, Floor 4, Dubai UAE,” were reasonably suspected to have been derived from illegal activity.
![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")
