The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Prof. Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), to five years in prison with no option of fine
Delivering the judgment on Monday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) successfully proved counts one and two against Ndifon beyond reasonable doubt.
The court imposed a two-year sentence for count one and five years for count two, with both terms to run concurrently.
The judge, however, discharged and acquitted Ndifon’s lawyer, Sunny Anyanwu, of the charges in counts three and four, stating that the commission failed to link him to any wrongdoing. Anyanwu had been added to the amended charge following allegations that he attempted to interfere with the investigation by calling the star witness, identified as TKJ, to discourage her from cooperating with the ICPC.
In the amended charge filed on January 19, 2024, counts one and two accused Ndifon of sexually harassing female students. He was alleged to have pressured TKJ, a diploma student, to send him indecent images through WhatsApp and to perform sexual acts in exchange for admission into the law programme. The prosecution also claimed he had a pattern of using his position to exploit female students.
Count three was directed solely at Anyanwu, while count four alleged that both men attempted to obstruct justice. After the ICPC closed its case on February 14, the defendants filed a no-case submission, which the court dismissed on March 6. Ndifon later testified in his own defence, alongside a forensic analyst from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho said the evidence clearly showed that Ndifon abused his office and exerted undue pressure on the student. He noted that the professor’s testimony lacked credibility, describing him as “not a witness of truth.”
The judge further condemned Ndifon’s conduct, saying: “It was with dismay I read through this case that a Dean of Law can turn himself to a sexual predator.” He added that Ndifon’s behaviour was disgraceful to the academic community and that the sentence should serve as a deterrent to others who misuse their positions to exploit women.
Although acquitted, Anyanwu’s phone call to the witness was criticized as unprofessional, even though it occurred months before formal investigations began.
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