The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof. Cyril Ndifon, to five years’ imprisonment after finding him guilty of sexually harassing his female students.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment on Monday, convicting Ndifon on two of the four charges brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
According to the court, Ndifon abused his office by demanding explicit photographs from his students, including one identified during trial with the pseudonym “TJK.”
ICPC prosecutors told the court that the suspended dean requested obscene images from the diploma student via WhatsApp, an allegation corroborated by four witnesses who testified before the court.
Justice Omotosho ruled that the prosecution successfully established a case of sexual harassment and misconduct, sentencing Ndifon to two years on one count and five years on another, to run concurrently.
However, the judge discharged and acquitted his co-defendant, lawyer Sunny Anyanwu, ruling that the evidence presented did not link him to any wrongdoing or attempt to obstruct justice.
The court noted that Ndifon’s no-case submission, filed after the prosecution closed its case in February 2024, had earlier been dismissed, compelling him to open his defence.
He testified on his own behalf and called a forensic analyst from the Office of the National Security Adviser as a witness, but the court held that their testimonies failed to counter the evidence against him.
Despite his denial and insistence that the prosecution had no credible proof, the judge maintained that the testimony of the witnesses, including the victim, was sufficient to sustain a conviction.
The ruling brings a significant close to a case that has sparked widespread attention and renewed calls for stronger protections for students against sexual exploitation in Nigerian higher institutions.