Court Sentences UNICAL Professor to Five Years for Sexual Harassment

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday sentenced Professor Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), to five years imprisonment without an option of fine. Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment, deeming the evidence presented by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against Prof. Ndifon to be proven beyond reasonable doubt on two counts of sexual harassment.

The court handed down a two-year term for one count and a five-year term for the other, to run concurrently, effectively mandating Ndifon to serve five years in prison. However, Sunny Anyanwu, Ndifon’s former lawyer and co-defendant, was acquitted and discharged as the court found insufficient evidence linking him to the charges.

The ICPC had brought four counts against Ndifon and Anyanwu, following allegations that the professor used his position to sexually harass female students. Central to the case was the testimony of a female Diploma student known as TKJ, who accused Ndifon of soliciting explicit photographs and demanding sexual favors in exchange for admission and academic concessions.

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Justice Omotosho’s verdict condemned the professor’s abuse of office and described his conduct as a betrayal of trust and a disgrace to academic leadership. The judge remarked that Ndifon’s immoral behavior as a dean was unbecoming and warranted condemnation for the sake of serving justice and deterring others in public office from exploiting their positions.

The court said, “The 1st defendant abused his office taking undue advantage of young female students, pressuring TKJ to perform immoral acts for academic favors, and such behavior is utterly condemnable.”

While acquitting Anyanwu, the court criticized his unprofessional conduct for attempting to contact the prosecution’s star witness during the trial to influence her testimony.

This landmark judgment is seen as a significant victory in Nigeria’s fight against sexual harassment in tertiary institutions, sending a clear message that abuse of power, especially in academic environments, will face stringent legal consequences. Ndifon is to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre to serve his sentence.