GOV. ALEX OTTI HIGHLIGHTS HOW KIDNAPPERS, BANDITS WERE DISLODGED FROM ABIA COMMUNITIES IN ABIA THIRD ANNIVERSARY SPEECH. (PHOTO).

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 Governor Alex Otti Highlights How Kidnappers, Bandits Were Dislodged from Abia Communities in Abia Third Anniversary Speech Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has disclosed that his administration inherited a security crisis in which kidnappers, armed robbers, and other criminal gangs held several communities hostage before being dislodged through sustained operations. Speaking during his third anniversary celebration at the Umuahia Township Stadium on Friday, Governor Otti revealed that bandits had established camps inside forests across the state, from where they launched attacks on innocent residents, causing panic and displacement. “Security was a major challenge in the state three years ago. Several communities were held hostage as kidnappers, armed robbers, and other criminal groups set up camps in the forests from where they launched sporadic attacks on innocent Abians,” Otti said. The governor announced that his administration, through effective collaboration with security a...
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NIGERIAN CATHOLIC PRIEST CONVICTED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IN U.S.(PHOTO).

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 Nigerian Catholic Priest Convicted of Sexual Assault in U.S


A jury in Texas has convicted former Catholic priest Anthony Odiong of sexually assaulting women under his spiritual care, bringing to a close a closely watched trial that centered on allegations of abuse of clerical authority.


The 57-year-old, who was born in Nigeria and later became a naturalised United States citizen, was found guilty of one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault involving two women who testified against him during proceedings in Waco.


Odiong had pleaded not guilty to the charges. He now faces a possible life sentence on the first-degree conviction, while the two second-degree convictions each carry prison terms ranging from two to 20 years. Sentencing is scheduled to begin on Monday before the same jury.


The verdict was delivered after a jury of eight women and four men deliberated for approximately two hours.


The trial initially included allegations from a third complainant. However, prosecutors Ryan Calvert and Liz Buice withdrew that aspect of the case after the woman, described as being in an emotionally fragile condition, failed to appear in court. Prosecutors said they decided against compelling her testimony because of concerns about her emotional wellbeing.


According to reports from the courtroom, Odiong showed little reaction as Judge Thomas West read the verdict. He reportedly stared ahead before lowering his head as deputies escorted him from the courtroom.


The case stemmed from allegations first made public in February 2024, when several women accused Odiong of sexual coercion, unwanted sexual contact and financial manipulation during his service as a Catholic priest in Texas and later in Louisiana.


One of the complainants, identified in court as Mary Doe, told jurors that Odiong initiated a sexual relationship with her while serving as her spiritual adviser during a difficult period in her life following a divorce. She testified that the relationship lasted several years. One of her sons also testified that he once discovered the pair having sexual intercourse in her bedroom after a family gathering.


A second complainant, identified as Jane Doe, testified that she sought spiritual guidance from Odiong while enduring an abusive marriage. She alleged that he pressured her into allowing sexual acts with her husband that caused her distress and later required her to discuss those encounters with him. Prosecutors argued that such actions constituted sexual assault under Texas law.


Both women said they met Odiong while he served at St Peter Catholic Center in Waco, a parish attended by students and staff of Baylor University.


Jurors also heard evidence that DNA testing established Odiong fathered a child in 2023 with a woman he had counselled spiritually while serving as pastor of a church in Louisiana. Although no criminal charges were filed in that matter, prosecutors argued it demonstrated a pattern of engaging in sexual relationships with women under his pastoral care.


Expert witnesses told the court that clergy members have a duty to maintain professional and spiritual boundaries with parishioners and highlighted the Catholic Church’s requirement of priestly celibacy.


The defence called only one witness, a former parishioner, who testified about Odiong’s character. Under cross-examination, however, the witness acknowledged that the former priest’s conduct did not meet the standards expected of a religious leader.


Odiong was ordained as a Catholic priest in Nigeria in 1993 and was transferred to the Austin Diocese region in Texas in 2006. After further studies in Rome, he moved to Louisiana in 2015.


Church authorities later revealed that he was suspended from ministry in 2019 following allegations involving multiple women. The suspension was not publicly disclosed at the time, although church officials said leaders in New Orleans had been informed. A similar suspension was not publicly announced in New Orleans until late 2023.

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