Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the remand of Prof. Cyril Ndifon, a suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), at the Kuje Correctional Centre. This remand is to be in effect until the completion of his bail application proceedings.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) brought four charges against Ndifon in court, accusing him of alleged sexual misconduct involving some of his students.
According to a statement from the spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, Azuka Ogugua, Ndifon pleaded not guilty to the charges. The defendant’s counsel, Okon Efut, requested bail, stating that the application had been submitted on January 2, 2024.
The statement further noted that the ICPC’s legal representative opposed the bail application, citing an alleged threat by one of the defendant’s lawyers, Sunny Anyanwu, against a key witness lined up for the trial.
Anyanwu, in his defense, initially contended that the name of the mentioned witness was not included in the charges presented. Later, he informed the court that it was the ‘witness’ who initiated contact with him.
Justice Omotosho, however, instructed Anyanwu to submit his sworn affidavit within 48 hours regarding the alleged threat against the ICPC witness.
Additionally, the judge ordered the remand of the defendant, Ndifon, at the Kuje Correctional Centre until Wednesday, January 10, 2024, when the bail application hearing is set to conclude.