Court remands UNICAL professor in Kuje Prison

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the detention of Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of Law at the University of Calabar, in Kuje Prison, Abuja.

Ndifon is facing charges of sexual harassment brought by the anti-corruption agency Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).

During his arraignment on Monday, the law professor pleaded not guilty to the four-count preferred against him by the commission, bordering on sexual harassment of students.

Justice James Omotosho ordered him to be remanded in Kuje Prison.

The ICPC, through its counsel, Ebenezer Shogunle, filed the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/511/23 on October 30, 2023, against Ndifon.

In count one, the defendant was alleged to have, between June and September 2023, used his office and position to gratify himself by soliciting nude photographs and videos from a year 2 Diploma female student of the university through WhatsApp chats on his telephone number, contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

In count two, the suspended UNICAL lecturer was alleged to have corruptly requested nude photographs and videos from a 400-level female student of the Faculty of Law with the plan of changing her project supervisor to himself to guarantee favourable grades for her and offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 8(1)(a) (il) of the agency’s Act.

In count three, he was alleged to have corruptly requested to see photographs of a 16-year-old prospective post-UTME female student, as an inducement to consider her for admission into the Faculty of Law contrary to and punishable under Section 18(d) of the Act.

Count four accused him of causing a female student to send pornographic, indecent, and obscene photographs of herself to him through WhatsApp chats between May and September 2023, contrary to and punishable under Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition & Prevention) Act, 2015.

Ndifon was alleged to have committed these crimes while being a public officer charged with responsibility for the certification of students as fit in learning and character as a prerequisite for the award of a Bachelor’s degree in Law and admission into the Nigerian Law School.