Breaking: Court Jails UNICAL Law Faculty Dean for 5 years
- Court sentenced UNICAL Law Dean Cyril Ndifon to five years after convicting him of sexually harassing female students
- Judge Omotosho ruled that prosecution evidence proved Ndifon demanded explicit photos from students
- Court acquitted co-defendant Sunny Anyanwu after finding no evidence linking him to wrongdoing
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), Professor Cyril Ndifon, to five years’ imprisonment after finding him guilty of sexually harassing female students.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment on Monday, convicting Ndifon on two of the four counts brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Source: Twitter
However, the court acquitted his co-defendant, Mr Sunny Anyanwu, a lawyer accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice, holding that the prosecution failed to establish any wrongdoing against him.
Court finds Ndifon guilty on two counts
Justice Omotosho ruled that the prosecution had successfully proven that Ndifon demanded explicit photographs from his female students, an act the court described as “a clear abuse of authority and a violation of the victims’ dignity”.
“The evidence before this court is credible and overwhelming. The first defendant exploited his position and acted in a manner unbecoming of a dean of faculty," the judge said.
Ndifon received two years’ imprisonment on one count and five years on another, with both terms to run concurrently.
ICPC details allegations of harassment
The ICPC had accused Ndifon of harassing female students during his tenure as Dean of Law at UNICAL.
In one instance, he allegedly instructed a diploma student, identified in court as TJK, to send him “pornographic, indecent, and obscene photographs” via WhatsApp.
TJK was one of four prosecution witnesses who testified.
The charges against Ndifon and Anyanwu included sexual harassment, cybercrime, and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Defence dismisses claims
After the prosecution closed its case in February, Ndifon filed a no-case submission, which the court rejected in March, directing him to enter his defence.
Testifying on his own behalf, Ndifon denied all allegations, insisting the ICPC had failed to present “credible or convincing evidence”.
“The testimonies of the witnesses, including the alleged victim, do not establish any wrongdoing on my part,” he argued.
His second witness, CSP Babagana Mingali, a forensic analyst from the Office of the National Security Adviser, also claimed that the evidence against Ndifon lacked technical validity.
Despite these arguments, the court held that the prosecution had met the threshold required for conviction.
Judge stresses need for accountability
In delivering the sentence, Justice Omotosho emphasised the responsibility of academic leaders to uphold moral and ethical standards.
“Universities must remain safe spaces for students,” he said. “This court will not overlook conduct that undermines trust and violates the rights of vulnerable individuals.”
Ndifon was immediately remanded in prison custody to begin his sentence.
Source: Legit.ng
