Varsity Professor Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Sexual Harassment
By Our Correspondent
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Professor Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), to a five-year imprisonment without the possibility of a fine.
Delivering the judgment on Monday, Justice James Omotosho found that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) proved counts one and two against Ndifon beyond a reasonable doubt.
The court sentenced him to two years for count one and five years for count two, with both sentences to run concurrently.
The court, however, acquitted Sunny Anyanwu, Ndifon’s former lawyer, who was initially included as the second defendant. Justice Omotosho noted that the prosecution failed to substantiate allegations against Anyanwu in counts three and four.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the ICPC filed an amended four-count charge on January 19, 2024, against Ndifon and Anyanwu. Ndifon was initially charged with sexual harassment alone, while Anyanwu was later added over accusations that he attempted to obstruct justice by calling the key witness, identified as TKJ, to discourage her from cooperating with investigators.
Counts one and two accused Professor Ndifon of sexually harassing female students, including pressuring TKJ—a diploma student—to send obscene photographs and perform sexual acts in exchange for admission into the law program. The ICPC also alleged that Ndifon exploited his position to abuse multiple female students.
Count three targeted only Anyanwu, while count four alleged that both defendants attempted to influence the course of justice.
After the ICPC concluded its case in February, both defendants filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish the allegations. Justice Omotosho rejected their submissions in March.
Ndifon testified in his defense, supported by a forensic analyst from the Office of the National Security Adviser as a second witness.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho stated that the prosecution convincingly proved Ndifon’s misuse of his position to pressure the victim, and noted that Ndifon’s testimony lacked credibility.
“The court observes that the first defendant is not a truthful witness,” the judge stated, highlighting multiple instances of abuse of office.
Although he described Anyanwu’s conduct as unprofessional, the judge found no evidence linking him to obstructing justice during the alleged phone call.
Justice Omotosho condemned Ndifon’s behavior as that of a “sexual predator” who has brought shame to the legal community, emphasizing that the sentence should serve as a deterrent to others who misuse their positions to exploit vulnerable women.
