The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Prof. Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), to five years in prison without the option of a fine.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) successfully proved counts one and two against Ndifon beyond reasonable doubt. He handed the professor two years’ imprisonment on count one and five years on count two, with both sentences to run concurrently.
The court, however, discharged and acquitted Ndifon’s former lawyer, Sunny Anyanwu, who was initially joined as the second defendant. Justice Omotosho held that the prosecution failed to establish Anyanwu’s involvement in counts three and four.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the ICPC had filed a four-count amended charge dated Jan. 19, 2024, against Ndifon and Anyanwu. While Ndifon originally faced a sole charge of sexual harassment, Anyanwu was later included over allegations that he attempted to obstruct justice by calling the star witness, identified as TKJ, to discourage her from cooperating with investigators.
Counts one and two accused Prof. Ndifon of sexually harassing female students, including pressuring TKJ—then a diploma student—to send him obscene photographs and to perform sexual acts in exchange for admission into the law programme. The commission also alleged that he abused his position to exploit several female students.
Count three was solely against Anyanwu, while count four alleged that both defendants attempted to influence the course of justice.
After the ICPC closed its case in February, both defendants filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had not proven the allegations. Justice Omotosho dismissed their submissions in March.
Ndifon later testified in his own defence, while a forensic analyst from the Office of the National Security Adviser testified as the second defence witness.
In his judgment, Justice Omotosho said the prosecution successfully established that Ndifon used his position to pressure the victim and that his testimony lacked credibility.
“The court observes that the 1st defendant is not a witness of truth,” the judge said, highlighting numerous instances of abuse of office.
Although he condemned Anyanwu’s conduct as unprofessional, the judge ruled that there was no evidence linking him to obstruction of justice at the time the alleged phone call was made.
Justice Omotosho expressed strong disapproval of Ndifon’s behaviour, describing him as a “sexual predator” who brought shame to the legal community. He added that the sentence should serve as a deterrent to others who abuse their positions to exploit vulnerable women.