Sexual Misconduct: Suspended UNICAL Dean, Cyril Ndifon to Face Court Prosecution

The sex-for-admission University of Calabar Professor, Cyril Ndifon, who is also the suspended Dean of the Law Faculty, is set to face prosecution following the re-arraignment of the Federal High Court on alleged sexual misconduct over female students of the Law Faculty.

Prof. Ndifon is a suspended Dean of the UNICAL Law Faculty with an unending sexual urge. He was granted a temporary bail on January 10 for his scheduled January 11th glaucoma surgery.

This is following his remand in Kuje prison over an allegation that his defence lawyer, Barrister Anyawu, threatened one of the star witnesses ICPC lined up for the trial.

Ndifon was, on 25 January, re-arraigned alongside Sunny Anyanwu as 1st and 2nd defendants on an amended four-count charge of sexual harassment and attempt to perverse the cause of justice.

Mr. Anyanwu, who is one of the lawyers in the defence, was joined in the amended charge filed on 22 January by the ICPC on the allegation that he called one of the prosecution witnesses on her mobile telephone during the pendency of the charge against Mr. Ndifon to threaten her.

Ndifon is standing trial at a Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged sexual harassment, molestation, and outright rape. Contrary to Section 182 of the Penal Code Cap. 52 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja 2006, the Prof. had been found guilty, though pleaded not guilty when arraigned before the Federal High Court Judge, Justice James Omotosho.

Meanwhile, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)’s star witness, on Tuesday, stated that “Cyril Ndifon, the suspended dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), pressurized her to trade her virginity in exchange for an admission into the institution.”

ICPC’s Two Month Investigation

ICPC alleged that in “contravention of Section 8 of the Corrupt Practices Act, Ndifon unethically and habitually requested/solicited and received sexual gratification cum pleasure in exchange for grades and mark upgrades from his female students.

Other submissions of the commission are: “The Respondent (Ndifon) habitually requested for video of his students’ bodies and genitalia specifically instructing the female students on the mode and medium of delivery of same which is through WhatsApp.”

Furthermore, “The Respondent habitually took advantage of the unequal relationship between himself and his students to cause them to perform oral sex on him under duress, thereby gratifying himself.”

“The apprehension of failure in Law courses and ultimately not gaining admission into a degree programme or graduating from the university with their mates created real fears in the students and they succumbed to the Respondent’s entreaties. They saw the Respondent as a larger-than-life phenomenon.”

Also, “That in exchange for the pleasure/gratification to satiate his sexual urge, the Respondent awarded the female students undeserving grades contrary to established university-approved grading order/pattern.”

“That in contravention of the Cybercrimes (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2015, the Criminal Code and Penal Code, the Respondent wielding inordinate power in an unequal relationship with his female students caused the female students to transmit nude and pornographic videos of themselves as a currency for grades, upgrades, and admission into the University’s Faculty of Law or transition from Diploma in Law Class to LLB Degree Class.”

Essentially, these allegations are with the burden of proof lifted by the anti-graft agency, which made ICPC provide 70 nudes and messages against the suspended professor.

Having pleaded not guilty, Justice Omotosho of the Federal High Court is set in adjournment to continue the persecution case of alleged rape, sexual molestation, among others.

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About The Author

Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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