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Nigerian Catholic priest convicted of sexual assault in US
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A Texas jury has convicted former Roman Catholic priest Anthony Odiong of sexually assaulting women to whom he provided spiritual direction, concluding a closely watched case involving allegations that he abused his position as a clergyman to pursue sexual relationships with vulnerable parishioners.
The jury, comprising eight women and four men, found Odiong, 57, guilty of one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault involving two women who testified during the trial in Waco.
Odiong, who pleaded not guilty, now faces a possible life sentence on the first-degree charge. Sentencing proceedings are scheduled to begin Monday before the same jury. The second-degree convictions each carry potential prison terms ranging from two to 20 years, The Guardian reports.
Jurors deliberated for about two hours before returning their verdict.
The case initially included allegations involving a third woman, but prosecutors Ryan Calvert and Liz Buice dropped that portion of the case after the complainant, described as being in an “extremely emotionally fragile” state, did not appear in court to testify. Prosecutors said they chose not to compel her appearance, citing her “extremely tenuous” emotional condition.
According to courtroom accounts, Odiong showed little visible reaction as Judge Thomas West read the verdict. He reportedly looked straight ahead during the proceedings before lowering his head as deputies escorted him from the courtroom.
The prosecution stemmed from allegations first brought to public attention in February 2024 by a group of women who accused Odiong of sexual coercion, unwanted touching and abusive financial control while serving as a Catholic priest in Texas and later in Louisiana.
One of the complainants, identified by the pseudonym Mary Doe, later presented a copy of a media report detailing the allegations to Waco police and accused Odiong of assaulting her over three years beginning in 2008.
Investigators subsequently identified a second complainant, known as Jane Doe, who also alleged abuse during the same period while Odiong served in the Waco area. Authorities said additional reports from other women helped establish probable cause for his arrest and prosecution despite the age of the allegations.
During the trial, Mary Doe testified that Odiong initiated a long-term sexual relationship with her while acting as her spiritual adviser as she navigated a difficult divorce and cared for seven children. She and one of her sons told jurors that the child once discovered them having sexual intercourse in her bedroom following a family gathering.
Jane Doe testified that she sought spiritual guidance from Odiong while trapped in an abusive marriage. She alleged that he pressured her to permit sexual acts with her husband that she found painful and then required her to discuss the encounters with him. Prosecutors argued that such conduct constituted sexual assault under Texas law even though Odiong was not directly involved in the sexual activity.
Both women said they met Odiong while he served at St Peter Catholic Center in Waco, a church frequented by students and employees of Baylor University. Their former husbands were Baylor employees, placing them within Odiong’s pastoral reach.
Jurors also heard evidence that DNA testing established Odiong had fathered a child in 2023 with a woman identified as Presley Jones, whom he had counselled spiritually while serving as pastor of St Anthony of Padua Church in Luling, Louisiana.
Although Odiong was not charged in connection with Jones because Louisiana lacks a law similar to Texas’ clergy sexual assault statute, prosecutors argued that the child demonstrated a pattern of sexual relationships with women he met through his ministerial work.
Expert witnesses told the court that clergy members bear responsibility for maintaining professional and spiritual boundaries with those under their care. Jurors also heard testimony regarding the Catholic Church’s requirement that priests remain celibate.
The defence called only one witness, a former parishioner, who testified about Odiong’s character and recalled attending a 2011 gathering at Mary Doe’s home. Under cross-examination, however, the witness acknowledged that Odiong’s conduct fell short of expectations for a religious leader.
Odiong, a naturalised United States citizen, was ordained a Catholic priest in 1993 in his native Nigeria. He was transferred to the Austin Diocese region, which includes Waco, in 2006 under then-Bishop Gregory Aymond.
After studying in Rome, Odiong moved to Luling in 2015, by which time Aymond had become Archbishop of New Orleans.
Church officials in Austin later said they suspended Odiong from ministry in 2019 over allegations involving multiple women. The suspension was not publicly announced at the time, though officials said New Orleans church leaders were informed. Archbishop Aymond did not publicly disclose a similar suspension in New Orleans until late 2023.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Ride-hailing company, Uber, has shut down its operations in Nigeria.
In a statement, the company, which came into Nigeria in 2014, said its exit is effective from September 2, 2026.
After a thorough review, we have taken the difficult decision to wind down operations in Nigeria, effective September 2, 2026,”
“We are writing to share some difficult news. After a thorough review of our business, we have made the tough decision to wind down our operations in Nigeria, effective 2 September 2026.”
“Since we first launched in Lagos in 2014, it has been an absolute privilege to be a part of your daily life connecting you with independent transportation providers.
Whether it was a morning commute, a ride to see loved ones, or exploring the city, thank you for trusting the platform to connect you to a driver to get you there safely. We know this may cause disruption to your routine, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.”
Uber said said its plan is to support drivers, riders and local team members through the transition
(Daily Trust)
A United States-based policy advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has claimed that an individual it described as being linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu offered $3 million to persuade the firm to halt its activities concerning allegations about the Nigerian president’s past.
The firm made the claim in a statement published on its verified X account on Wednesday, alleging that the purported offer was accompanied by an invitation to a confidential meeting in London.
Von Batten-Montague-York said its leader, Dr Von Batten, rejected the proposal and retained copies of the communications relating to the alleged offer.
The firm did not identify the individual it claimed made the offer, nor did it provide publicly verifiable evidence establishing that the person was acting on behalf of President Tinubu.
Firm alleges $3m inducement
According to the statement, the alleged approach came from what the firm described as a “highly placed individual” who it said it had been told was connected to the President.
The firm alleged that the purpose of the proposed payment was to persuade Dr Von Batten to discontinue the organisation’s campaign concerning allegations it has previously raised about President Tinubu.
“A few days ago, Dr Von Batten received unsolicited offers of $3 million, along with an invitation to a confidential meeting in London, from a highly placed individual whom we have been informed is connected to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu,” the firm said.
It added that it viewed the alleged offer as an attempt to influence its activities.
“We believe these offers were an attempt to persuade Dr Von Batten to end our campaign concerning President Tinubu’s alleged heroin-trafficking records,” the statement said.
The firm said it rejected the alleged proposal, adding that it had preserved the communications surrounding the purported approach.
Firm says it investigated alleged link
Von Batten-Montague-York said it subsequently sought to establish the identity and political connections of the individual allegedly behind the approach.
It claimed that it contacted members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as part of its efforts to determine whether the individual had any relationship with President Tinubu.
The firm also alleged that negative publicity targeting Dr Von Batten emerged after the purported offer was rejected.
It did not, however, provide independent evidence in the statement to substantiate the alleged link between the individual and the President or to establish that the subsequent criticism was connected to the alleged offer.
Documents to be submitted to US authorities
The lobbying firm said it plans to submit what it described as the relevant communications and details of the alleged $3 million proposal to United States authorities.
It specifically mentioned the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The firm said the move would enable the appropriate authorities to independently examine the circumstances surrounding the alleged approach.
The organisation also directed its message at President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying it had rejected the purported offer.
Allegation remains unverified
The claim comes against the backdrop of longstanding political and legal disputes surrounding allegations concerning President Tinubu’s past, including claims that have previously been raised in political campaigns and legal proceedings.
However, the latest allegation by Von Batten-Montague-York has not been independently verified.
The firm has not publicly identified the alleged intermediary or produced evidence confirming that the person was authorised to act for or on behalf of President Tinubu.
There was also no response from the Presidency, President Tinubu, the APC or any identified representative contained in the statement issued by the firm.
Birthdays are milestones in the journey of life, but for those entrusted with the service of a nation, they are also moments to celebrate the footprints they have left along the way. Today, I celebrate one such journey—that of an accomplished public servant, steadfast patriot and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima.
Your Excellency, your journey through public service—from Commissioner to Governor, Senator and now Vice President—has been distinguished by courage in adversity, intellectual depth, loyalty to country and an abiding conviction in the promise of Nigeria.
You governed Borno State at one of the most difficult periods in its history, when terror tested the resilience of its people and challenged the authority of the Nigerian state. Yet you remained at your duty post, providing leadership in the face of danger and demonstrating that adversity must never be permitted to extinguish hope.
Today, as Vice President, you bring that same resilience, experience and patriotic commitment to the service of our nation. Your partnership with His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda demonstrates the importance of unity of purpose at the highest levels of government as we confront the challenges of the present and lay the foundations for a more prosperous future.
On this special day, I celebrate not merely the addition of another year to your life, but the years you have invested in the service of our fatherland.
On behalf of my family, my constituents and the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I wish you many more years of good health, wisdom, strength and fulfilment.
May Almighty God continue to guide you, strengthen you and grant you the grace to serve our nation with distinction.
And may the years ahead bring us ever closer to the Nigeria for which generations have hoped and laboured—a nation at peace with itself, confident in its diversity, prosperous in its economy and respected among the nations of the world.
Happy Birthday, Mr Vice President.
May God bless you, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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