Cyril Ndifon, the suspended law faculty dean at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), has been handed a five-year prison sentence without the option of a fine.
The ruling was delivered on Monday by James Omotosho, the presiding judge at the federal high court in Abuja.
Ndifon was suspended in 2023 over allegations of abuse of office and sexual harassment involving female students. He was subsequently charged by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) alongside his co-defendant, Sunny Anyanwu.
Counts one and two alleged that Ndifon sexually harassed female students. The ICPC said Ndifon, while serving as dean, asked a female diploma student identified as TKJ to send him “pornographic, indecent, and obscene photographs of herself” through instant messaging. He was also accused of requesting “a blow job” from her in exchange for helping her gain admission to study law.
Count three accused Anyanwu — previously a member of Ndifon’s legal team — of attempting to influence justice by threatening a prosecution witness to stop her from cooperating with the ICPC.
Ndifon had asked the court in March 2024 to dismiss the charges, but the judge ruled on Monday that the ICPC had proven its case in counts one and two beyond a reasonable doubt. Omotosho imposed a two-year sentence for count one and five years for count two, to run concurrently.
Anyanuwu, however, was discharged and acquitted after the judge held that the ICPC failed to link him to the offences in counts three and four.
The court found that Ndifon exerted undue pressure on TKJ and exploited his office for personal gain. “The instances of undue advantage are so many. The 1st defendant abused his office,” the judge said.
Omotosho noted that Ndifon was not a credible witness, describing his behaviour as immoral. “It was with dismay I read through this case that a dean of law can turn himself into a sexual predator,” he remarked.
He added that the sentence should serve as a deterrent to others in public office who exploit their positions for misconduct.
Although Anyanwu’s conduct in contacting a potential witness was deemed unprofessional, the court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove malicious intent, as the call occurred months before the investigation began.
Ndifon received a measure of leniency as a first-time offender, following pleas from his counsel, Oladimeji Ekengba.