![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")
Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan has emerged as the winner of the Diamond League trophy for an astonishing third consecutive time.
On Sunday night in Oregon, Amusan, with a time of 12.33 seconds, emerged the winner of the fiercely contested 100-meter hurdles event to silence her critics after a disappointing outing in Budapest.
Amusan, with Sunday’s remarkable performance, made history as the second woman in Diamond League history after Dawn Nelson-Harper to win a hat-trick of 100-meter hurdles titles.
Interestingly, it was in Oregon that Amusan won the world title last year and also set a world record in the process.
For Sunday’s race, the hard-charging Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico finished second in 12.38, while American Keni Harrison was third in 12.44.
Danielle Williams of Jamaica, who dethroned Amusan in Budapest, finished fourth in 12.47.
The athletic season has been a torrid one for Tobi, but she emphatically proved on Sunday that she is arguably the best sprint hurdler in the world.
The sweet victory in Oregon brings a triumphant close to what has been a difficult summer for Tobi.
Many people remember how Amusan’s devastation during the lead-up to the World Championships in Budapest resulted from the Athletics Integrity Unit temporarily suspending her due to whereabouts failures.
The 26-year-old was cleared by a disciplinary tribunal on the eve of the meet’s kickoff, and it wasn’t surprising when Tobi, uncharacteristically, finished sixth in the 100-meter hurdle final in Budapest.
With many not initially sure whether the AIU will file an appeal against Amusan at the Court of Arbitration for Sports, the focus has already shifted to next year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
However, with a better frame of mind to prepare, Tobi came out smoking to win her third Diamond League trophy on Sunday.
The world record holder first made history in 2021 when she ran a 12.42 African record to become the first Nigerian to win a Diamond League title.
For those who said it was a fluke, Tobi went on to successfully defend her title the following year, running a new 12.29 Weltklasse meeting record in Zurich, Switzerland.
And on Sunday, Amusan made it a hat trick of wins with a season-best time of 12.33 seconds in Eugene, Oregon.
