A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar to five years in prison for sexually harassing female students.
Professor Cyril Ndifon was convicted on Monday by Justice James Omotosho, who ruled that he used his position to demand sexual favors from students in exchange for admission.
The judge sentenced Ndifon to two years imprisonment on count one and five years on count two, with both sentences to run at the same time. This means he will serve five years total without the option of paying a fine instead.
However, the court discharged and acquitted Sunny Anyanwu, who was a member of Ndifon’s legal team and was charged alongside him.
Justice Omotosho held that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission could not link the offences in counts three and four to Anyanwu.
The ICPC had filed an amended charge dated January 19, 2024, with four counts against Ndifon as the first defendant and Anyanwu as the second defendant.
Anyanwu was joined to the case after allegations that he tried to stop justice by calling the main witness on her phone during the trial to threaten her.
While working as Ndifon’s lawyer, Anyanwu allegedly called the witness, identified as TKJ, telling her not to honor ICPC’s invitation or write any statement about the sexual harassment case against his client.
In the amended charge, counts one and two accused the professor of sexually harassing female students of the university.
The commission said that while serving as Dean of the Faculty of Law at UNICAL, Ndifon asked a female Diploma student identified as TKJ, who was the star witness, to send him “pornographic, indecent and obscene photographs of herself” through WhatsApp chats.
He was also accused of asking TKJ on different occasions to give him “a blow job” in exchange for helping her gain admission into the institution to study law.
Ndifon, as a public officer, was alleged to have sexually harassed many female students of the institution, using his position to gain unfair advantage over them.
The ICPC closed its case against the suspended professor and Anyanwu on February 14, 2024.
The defendants tried to argue that the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations against them, but Justice Omotosho dismissed their no-case submission on March 6, 2024.
In his defense, Ndifon testified as the first defense witness, while CSP Babagana Mingali, a Forensic Analyst who works at the laboratory of the Office of the National Security Adviser, testified as the second defense witness.
In delivering the judgment, Justice Omotosho said the commission had been able to prove the offences in counts one and two.
He noted that Ndifon was unable to challenge the evidence that he wrongly pressured TKJ to perform immoral acts with him.
“The victim was desirous of being admitted into the university and the 1st defendant was in advantage to help her being the dean and the diploma course is under his supervision,” the judge said.
“The instances of undue advantage are so much. The 1st defendant abused his office,” he stated.
The judge observed that Ndifon was “not a witness of truth and cannot be believed by any reasonable court.”
“Consequently, the 1st defendant is hereby convicted of count one and count two,” Justice Omotosho declared.
The judge said that because Ndifon was a first-time offender, he decided to be lenient as requested by the professor and his lawyer, Oladimeji Ekengba.
On count three, the judge said that although Anyanwu made a phone call to TKJ, this was about four months before the investigation started and before charges were filed against Ndifon.
He said the court could not assume or guess what Anyanwu intended when he made the call.
Justice Omotosho therefore discharged and acquitted Anyanwu of count three and also count four which both defendants were charged with.
However, the judge condemned Anyanwu’s unprofessional behavior in calling a witness in his client’s case.
Justice Omotosho also strongly criticized Ndifon’s immoral conduct.
“It was with dismay I read through this case that a Dean of Law can turn himself to a sexual predator,” the judge said.
He said Ndifon’s behavior with women should be condemned by everyone.
According to Justice Omotosho, the professor is “a disgrace to the community of learner persons and must be made to face the wrath of the law.”
He said the conviction would serve as a warning to others in public office who take unfair advantage of women.
