Court Convicts Suspended UNICAL Law Dean Ndifon to Five Years for Abuse of Office and Sexual Harassment
The Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, has convicted and sentenced the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Professor Cyril Ndifon, to five years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.
Delivering judgment, Justice Omotosho held that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had proved counts one and two against Ndifon beyond reasonable doubt. He was sentenced to two years on count one and five years on count two, to run concurrently.
In contrast, the court discharged and acquitted Sunny Anyanwu, a lawyer formerly on Ndifon’s defence team, of all charges. The judge found that the ICPC failed to establish Anyanwu’s culpability in counts three and four, though he condemned Anyanwu’s unprofessional conduct in contacting a prosecution witness during trial.
Justice Omotosho observed that Ndifon had abused his office by exploiting his position as Dean to pressure a female diploma student, identified as TKJ, into immoral acts in exchange for admission. The court noted that Ndifon’s testimony lacked credibility, describing him as “not a witness of truth.”
In his remarks, the judge strongly condemned Ndifon’s conduct: “It is with dismay I read through this case that a Dean of Law can turn himself into a sexual predator. He is a disgrace to the community of learned persons and must face the wrath of the law.”
The court stressed that the sentence should serve as a deterrent to public officers who abuse their positions to exploit vulnerable individuals, particularly female students.
The ICPC’s amended charge of January 19, 2024 had accused Ndifon of demanding obscene photographs and sexual favours from TKJ via WhatsApp, constituting sexual harassment under the law. Counts three and four alleged attempts to pervert the course of justice, with Anyanwu accused of discouraging TKJ from cooperating with investigators.
Although the defence filed a no‑case submission, Justice Omotosho dismissed it in March 2024, ruling that the prosecution had sufficiently established the elements of the offences.
