Cyril Ndifon, the suspended former dean of the Faculty of Law at University of Calabar (UNICAL), has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of s*xually harassing female students.
Gatekeepers News reports that the judgment was delivered on Monday by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Ndifon, removed from office in 2023 over allegations of abuse of power and misconduct involving female students, was prosecuted by Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) alongside his former lawyer, Sunny Anyanwu.
According to the amended charges, Ndifon repeatedly pressured a diploma student identified as TKJ to send him indecent and obscene photographs and, on several occasions, demanded s*xual favours in exchange for helping her secure admission into the law programme. The ICPC told the court that Ndifon exploited his position as dean to prey on female students and gain undue advantage.
One of the charges also alleged that Anyanwu attempted to interfere with the case by threatening a prosecution witness to stop her from cooperating with investigators.
The court however ruled that the anti-corruption agency failed to link Anyanwu to the offences in counts three and four and subsequently discharged and acquitted him.
Justice Omotosho held that the prosecution proved counts one and two against Ndifon beyond reasonable doubt. He imposed a two-year sentence for the first count and a five-year term for the second, to run concurrently.
The judge noted that although Ndifon asked for leniency as a first-time offender, the evidence clearly showed he abused his office and used his authority to manipulate vulnerable students.
The court described Ndifon as not a witness of truth and condemned his actions as unethical, exploitative, and unbecoming of a public officer, stressing that the judgment should serve as a warning to others who misuse their positions to take advantage of women.
