Federal High Court ordered Prof. Cyril Ndifon to be remanded at kuje Prison
The Federal High Court ruled on Monday to remand Prof. Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of the University of Calabar’s (UNICAL) Faculty of Law, in Kuje jail. Ndifon is accused of sexual harassment.
Nonetheless, Ndifon entered a not guilty plea to the four counts against him, which are being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) before Justice James Omotosho.
The ICPC, though its counsel, Ebenezer Shogunle, had filed the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/511/23 on Oct. 30, 2023 against Ndifon.
In count one, the defendant was accused of violating Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, by allegedly using his office and position to satisfy his own desires between June and September 2023. Specifically, he was accused of asking a year two diploma female student at the university for nude photos and videos through Whatsapp chats at his phone number, 08037066222.
In count two, he was alleged to have corruptly requested for nude photographs and videos from a 400level female student of the Faculty of Law with the plan of changing her project supervisor to himself in order 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 violating Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition & Prevention) Act, 2015, by encouraging a female student to send him explicit, lewd, and obscene photos of herself via Whatsapp chats on his phone number, 08037066222, between May and September 2023.
These, Ndifon was alleged to have committed 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 Bachelor’s degree in Law and admission into the Nigeria Law School.
After the charge was read to him, the embattled lecturer pleaded not guilty to the counts.
Ndifon’s counsel, Okon Efut, SAN, took his bail application dated Jan. 2 and filed Jan. 3.
Efut prayed the court to admit his client to bail, particularly on health grounds.
Besides, he informed the court that there were four other grounds why Ndifon should be granted bail.
Speaking from the dock, Ndifon said: “My lord, I was supposed to have an eye surgery on Glaucoma.”
Efut told the court that it was on the basis of his health condition that the magistrate court in Calabar admitted him to bail on Oct. 27, 2023, after being in detention for about 22 days.
He said based on the medical report, the surgery was expected to be carried out on Jan. 11.
ICPC Lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, opposed the application for bail.
He said on receipt of the process, the commission filed a counter affidavit dated and filed Jan. 5.
The lawyer, who alleged that one of the counsel to Ndifon threatened the commission’s star witness on phone, said they were in possession of the call logs.
Akponimisingha argued that one of the cardinal reasons for granting bail was the assurance that a defendant would not interfer with the case.
