The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday convicted and sentenced the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof. Cyril Ndifon, to five years imprisonment for sexually harassing female students.
In a judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho, the court found Ndifon guilty on two out of four counts brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The sentences — two years on one count and five years on another — will run concurrently, meaning the professor will serve a total of five years in prison.
The court, however, discharged and acquitted Ndifon’s co-defendant and lawyer, Mr. Sunny Anyanwu, who was accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Justice Omotosho ruled that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence linking Anyanwu to any offence.
The ICPC had accused Ndifon of demanding “pornographic, indecent and obscene photographs” from female students via WhatsApp while he served as Dean. One of the key allegations involved a diploma student (identified in court only by the pseudonym ‘TJK’), who was among four prosecution witnesses that testified.
The charges against the defendants included sexual harassment, cybercrime, and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The ICPC closed its case on February 14, 2024. Ndifon subsequently filed a no-case submission, which the court rejected on March 6, 2024, ordering him to open his defence.
During the trial, Prof. Ndifon testified in his own defence and called one additional witness — CSP Babagana Mingali, a forensic analyst from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). Ndifon denied all allegations, insisting that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case and that the testimonies of the witnesses, including the alleged victim, were unreliable and insufficient for conviction.
The court disagreed on two of the counts, leading to Monday’s conviction and sentencing.
Prof. Ndifon has been on suspension from UNICAL since the allegations first surfaced.
