The Department of State Services has confirmed the arrest of Professor Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar.
The arrest, which took place in Calabar, Cross River State, on October 4, 2023, was carried out following a court order.
Dr. Peter Afunanya, the DSS Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, confirmed the arrest to journalists in Abuja.
He stated, “The ICPC has sought the collaboration of the Department of State Services, on the University of Calabar sex scandal matter involving Professor Cyril Ndifon. The commission had disclosed the refusal of Ndifon to honour its several invitations, thus his eventual arrest in Calabar, Cross River State by its operatives on 4th October 2023 based on a court order.”
The arrest was made at the request of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Crimes Commission, after Ndifon repeatedly declined to honour their invitations in relation to the widely reported sex scandal case involving him and some law students.
In a twist of events, Ndifon had recently instituted a lawsuit against the Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, Prof. Florence Obi, and other officers at the National Industrial Court in Calabar, over the sex scandal allegations.
Ndifon, who is currently on suspension, accused the VC of sponsoring a smear campaign against him with the aim of removing him from his position as dean and from academia.
In his words, “I had to take the principal officers of the school to court to clear my reputation of the smear campaign against me. I believe the VC funded the protest against me because she wanted me removed from my role as dean and from academia.”
The university’s management, however, has responded to the lawsuit, stating that they would meet the accused law professor in court.
The case continues to unfold as the DSS and ICPC carry out their investigations.
