The Cross River State Police Command, has confirmed the arrest of the suspended dean of law faculty of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Professor Cyril Osim Ndifon by security operatives, while noting that it was not an abduction. 

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Irene Ugbo, confirmed this on Thursday, saying “Prof Ndifon was arrested by a government security agency (not the police) for interrogation.”

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that some gunmen, numbering about 8, stormed the residence of Prof Ndifon at Akpabuyo at about 1am and whisked him away.

A family source had told journalists that the heavily armed men jumped over the fence into the compound and went straight into his room, picked him up, dragged him into a waiting van and zoomed off.

“The incident happened between the hours of 12:00–1:00 a.m. on Thursday while we were asleep. We heard a bang on our door, and a voice shouted we should open the door or else they would blow the door open if we did not open it at that moment.

“Without dilly-dallying, ten heavily armed men jumped over the fence into the compound and went straight into Oga’s room, picked him up, dragged him into a waiting van and zoomed off,” a family source had said.

SaharaReporters in August reported that female students of the faculty of law at UNICAL staged a protest in the university, demanding the immediate removal of Ndifon for allegedly sexually harassing them.

Though Ndifon had claimed that the allegation of sexual harassment was plotted against him because he won the faculty election, the university management suspended him and constituted a panel to investigate the allegation.

The school’s vice-chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi, constituted the administrative panel to thoroughly investigate the allegations against Ndifon.

Earlier in September, SaharaReporters reported that Ndifon failed to appear before the panel constituted to investigate the allegations against him.

The probe panel later found the senior lecturer guilty of gross misconduct.

In the report of the panel obtained by SaharaReporters, it “established that the suspended Dean, Prof. Cyril Osim Ndifon was using his official position to both intimidate and bargain for sexual favour from female students in the Faculty of Law”.

It also “established that the suspended Dean had been involved in students’ exploitation”.

“Elaborately, he had been perpetrating cruelty against students by forestalling the graduation of especially some female students at the appropriate time by withholding and refusing to release their results and threatening some that they would never graduate from the Faculty or go to the law school,” the panel stated in the report.

“A considerable amount of light has been shed on the plight of judicial officers of superior courts of record, their meagre remuneration and poor conditions of service. However, not much has been said about the even worse conditions of service that judicial officers of the lower (I would rather not use the term ‘inferior’) courts, particularly the Magistrates, are facing.” wrote Onikepo Braithwaite, in her column ‘The Advocate’, published in ThisDay of 22 Aug 2023.

Continuing, the Law Editor, said: “Even though the Magistrate Court is not a superior court of record as listed in Section 6(5)(a)-(j) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended in 2023)(the Constitution), nor is it expressly listed by name in the Constitution like the superior courts, it is still recognised in the Constitution, since it is a lower court of record established for a State covered by Section 6(4)(1) & (5)(k) of the Constitution.”

The deplorable conditions of Nigerian magistrates came to the limelight on Wednesday 4th of October when a Magistrate in Anambra State Judiciary was captured on camera riding on a motor bike on her way to court.

Her Worship was headed to the Neni Chief Magistrates’ Court from Nri all in Anambra State.

As it stands, public affairs commentators and analysts are questioning why the Chief Judge of Anambra and the Governor, including Anambra NBA are insensitive to the plight of these judicial workers or what it implies to the populace.

Hopefully those concerned will heed the parting words of Ms. Braithwaite. “It is time for the State Governors/Governments to therefore, do the needful. The salaries and allowances of Magistrates, are overripe for a healthy upward review. It seems that the Nigerian Magistrates, may be in the category of the worst paid. How can dignity be restored to the Magistracy. when Magistrates ride on okadas and struggle for public transportation?”

• As CSOs make case for reinvigorated fight against SGBV

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) has called for stronger and more strategic responses and approaches to the issue of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) on account of its danger to the lives of women and girls.

The Senior Advocate also revealed that his ministry is currently reviewing the national policy on justice 2007 to encapsulate SGBV matters and provide a sustainable framework for addressing the problem and stressed the need for investigative, prosecutorial and adjudicatory capacities to keep pace with developments and evolving patterns and forms of SGBV.

Charging all stakeholders in the 36 States and international development partners to commit to the effective implementation of all policies, programmes and laws relating to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), Fagbemi said the country’s investigative, prosecutorial and adjudicatory capacities must keep pace with developments and evolving patterns and forms of SGBV.

Expressing concern over that the dearth of prosecution data for cases involving SGBV, the AGF remarked that this has occasioned gaps that must be swiftly tackled to track and monitor the effectiveness of programmatic responses and identify flash points and emerging trends, among other critical issues.

Prince Fagbemi equally added that efforts should be geared in the direction of sensitization and building the capacities of State actors in the effective implementation of their Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Laws.

He spoke on Tuesday, at the “High-Level Engagement with States on Promoting Rule of Law and Enhancing Criminal Justice Pathway to Address Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Against Women and Girls” organized by his in collaboration with EU-UN Spotlight Initiative.

The AGF who was represented by the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Beatrice Jeddy-Agba, Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice.

Meanwhile, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have said that traditional rulers, market leaders, religious leaders and security agencies must make a collective effort for the girl-child to live a wholesome life in society.

They made this assertion at a one-day CSOs Roundtable Discussion of National Level Actors in Lagos organised by the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) in partnership with Women for Women International and Ford Foundation with focus on learnings from Community Level Interventions on Advocacy and Gender Based Violence (GBV) Prevention.

According to the Executive Director, WARDC, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, there was a need to identify major gatekeepers, which include traditional structures such as community leaders, traditional rulers, among others, and encourage them to rise up against GBV.

“We believe they have a role to play in addressing GBV. We’ve dialogued with them to the level of inspiring them to become champions of their communities and ensure that they sanction offenders where someone commits any form of sexual and gender based violence. This will serve as a deterrent to others,” she said.

She noted that other gatekeepers include security agencies. “There are general complaints from our research that there is laxity on the part of the Police in the process of enforcement of laws and prosecution of offenders, hence they need to do more,” she added.

Akiode-Afolabi also tasked the government to provide intervention programmes for victims of domestic violence as well as separate courts that will respond to sexual and gender-based violence to ensure speedy dispensation of justice.

For the Country Director, Women for Women International, Nigeria, Bola Onyishi, the girl-child must be empowered in every area to enable her stand for her rights. This, she said, requires a lot of sensitisation, which the organisation is actively involved in.

Onyishi, however, lamented that stigmatisation of victims of GBV was a serious challenge.

“Society should stop stigmatising victims of gender-based violence. It’s a serious pandemic, which has to stop. Creating a safe society for the girl-child is our collective responsibility,” she said.

• We stand by our story that NBA abandoned Uduak– CITY LAWYER

Amidst the allegation that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) abandoned the young female lawyer, Uduak Adams who narrowly escaped lynching by a mob after being wrongly accused of kidnapping a boy, the highly traumatized young lady is crying out for justice.

Ms. Adams told PUNCH that the incident happened on September 16, 2023, on Aborisade Street in the Surulere area of Lagos State when she went to inspect a house she wanted to rent and she asked the boy for directions.

She noted that she was shocked when a few minutes after she left the spot where she spoke with the boy, his mother approached her and accused her of kidnapping him from their compound.

Adams added that the woman’s shout attracted people who descended on her.

“Immediately, people gathered. They carried planks, and sticks, dragged me, and didn’t give me a chance to explain. They dragged me and started beating me,” she recalled.

In a video sighted by our correspondent, some people were seen dragging and molesting her.

“The crowd brought tyres and wanted to burn me. They told me that I was going to die, that even the police and Army could not save me. They said they were about to kill me and I should start saying my last prayers,” she added.

Adams narrated that as they kept beating her, the boy returned.

She said after inquiring from the boy what happened and he explained that he and his friends only assisted her in locating a house and then left her to go and play football, the crowd started dispersing, while the mother started begging.

Policemen from Itire Police Division were said to have immediately arrested some of the attackers including the boy’s mother.

The Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Lagos State chapter, Bisi Makanjuola, said, “The NBA Lagos is looking at the case and we will do all that we can to ensure that she gets justice and that she is rehabilitated.”

Attempts to reach the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, proved abortive as he was not reachable on the telephone and the text messages sent to him were not responded to.

In the meantime, City Lawyer which had earlier reported that the NBA abandoned Uduak maintains its stand on the publication.

In an article titled: ‘UDUAK AND NBA LAGOS BRANCH: WE STAND BY OUR STORY’ – CITY LAWYER, City Lawyer restated its position.

Our attention has been drawn to statements issued by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos Branch wherein the Executive Committee demanded that CITY LAWYER “immediately withdraws the publication regarding Ms. Uduak and issue public apology failing which the Executive Committee of NBA may take legal action in defending the reputation of the Branch.”

The Executive Committee has variously described our report as a “misleading statement” and “careless publication.” We firmly reject this characterization.

Following up on its coordinated and frenzied attacks on CITY LAWYER and Mr. Emeka Nwadioke, its President and former award-winning journalist, the Executive Committee unleashed its officers and acolytes to impugn our character and the report.

It is a measure of the leadership diminution within the once hallowed branch that a member of the Executive Committee has been hounding our President via infantile direct messages such as “You are warned to cease and desist from spreading horrible rumours;” “When pride comes, then comes disgrace …;” “The Branch has prevailed over you triumphantly already!” Discerning stakeholders cannot but wonder whether this has become a popularity contest between CITY LAWYER and the Executive Committee or simply a case of whether a news report is factual or otherwise. Other Executive Committee members have chosen to characterize the report as “false” or to read non-existent motives into it.

Consistent with its misguided quest to ‘triumph’ over CITY LAWYER and its President, the Executive Committee, against settled principles, chose to constitute itself into both judge and jury, stating that “City Lawyer did not make any attempt to contact any member of the Executive Committee of NBA Lagos Branch in order to verify the facts before going ahead to publish false statement against the Branch. This, we believe, should not be condoned.

“Consequently, Emeka Nwadioke will be removed from all NBA Lagos related platforms, and City Lawyer posts will now be disallowed going forward.” This premeditated decision has been effected by the Branch leadership. At least one activist-lawyer has offered to legally challenge pro bono this apparently oppressive behaviour.

It is instructive that CITY LAWYER made an effort to interrogate the subject of Ms. Adams’ welfare with a member of the Executive Committee. This ultimately proved abortive.

Though the Branch leadership had publicly stated that “The Executive Committee will liaise with the National Welfare Committee of the NBA to ensure the welfare of Ms. Uduak,” the sad and pathetic tales Ms. Adams told CITY LAWYER amid heart-rending sobs clearly indicated that either nothing was being done in this regard or that sufficient traction was not being gained on such efforts. It was very clear to us that Ms. Adams was in considerable distress and trauma, with a deep-seated feeling that her case was not getting the desired attention and traction. She was unwavering in her assertion that, more than two weeks after the incident, she had not received any financial support from the Nigerian Bar Association (including NBA Lagos Branch) to defray her sundry medical bills.

Ms. Adams painted a vivid picture of a hapless survivor who had been left in the lurch. Notwithstanding the strenuous and orchestrated defence put up by the Branch leadership, it has failed to rebut this assertion. Instead, it was very convenient to attack the messenger! Indeed, in the aftermath of the needless brouhaha that has attended our report, CITY LAWYER has become aware that the survivor escalated her desperate condition to other public-spirited lawyers! However, we shall keep our gunpowder dry.

Equally instructive is that, in the aftermath of the CITY LAWYER report, the Branch leadership had sought to throw Ms. Adams under the bus in a desperate face-saving gambit. While we are unable to provide more details at this stage, we state that the Branch leadership cannot approbate and reprobate. It must walk its talk and follow through on its commitment to “liaise with the National Welfare Committee of the NBA to ensure the welfare of Ms. Uduak.” No amount of ill-advised attempt to muzzle accountability and Free Speech will suffice.

We believe that NBA Lagos Branch, which prides itself as the poster-child of NBA, should manage its media relations function better. Sadly, it chose to deploy a shock-and-awe stratagem instead to muzzle the messenger.

This hugely disappointing conduct notwithstanding, CITY LAWYER has continued to thread a higher moral ground in the circumstances. Given that our report was fundamentally an interview with Ms. Adams, what the Branch is entitled to is a “Right of Reply.” Aligning with global best practice, we have published the rebuttal issued by the Branch leadership, shorn of the litany of ad hominem attacks that have become the common thread in this matter.

It is highly instructive that the Branch leadership had gratuitously labelled our report as “false.” What it has spectacularly failed to do till date is provide any proof to rebut the factual basis of our report. Indeed, Ms. Adams has not denied either granting us an interview or repudiated any scintilla of assertion made in the report. Clearly, playing to the gallery must have limits!

While we concede that the new Branch leadership is still learning the ropes, it must quit its ‘campaign mode’ and quickly settle down to what matters most – members’ welfare. Need we remind the Executive Committee that it, perhaps characteristically, was conspicuously absent at the recent burial of its member, Late Mrs. Ijeoma Chizoma Oparanozie, who died in very tragic circumstances. Again, while other individuals and entities have been very upbeat in trying to seek compensation for her estate vis-à-vis possible medical negligence, the Branch leadership has been ominously silent on the subject. If the leadership turns a new leaf today, it would be doing itself and the Branch members a world of good.

We thank all stakeholders who have called to offer pro bono legal services and to pledge their solidarity with CITY LAWYER. We assure you all that this has buoyed our commitment to the pursuit of probity and lawyers’ welfare.

For the avoidance of any doubt howsoever, we stand by our report.

Thank you.

MANAGEMENT
CITY LAWYER

“From the foregoing findings, the panel has established the serial violations
of some of the extant rules and regulations regarding the following
conditions of service as amended or revised 2014 as follows:

1. Major Misconduct-The panel established that the suspended Dean, Prof. Cyril Osim Ndifon was using his official position to both
   intimidate and bargain for sexual favour from female students in the
   Faculty of Law.
2. Gross Misconduct-

2.1. The panel established that the suspended Dean had been involved
in students’ exploitation. Elaborately, he had been perpetrating
cruelty against students by forestalling the graduation of especially
some female students at the appropriate time by withholding and
refusing to release their results and threatening some that they would never graduate from the Faculty or go to the law School.

2.2. The panel established that the suspended Dean was compelling
the law students to pay for a Faculty Journal that was non- existent
for three consecutive academic sessions.

In view of the foregoing violations, the panel makes the following
recommendations:

1. That the suspended Dean of law should face the statutory
   Disciplinary Committee of the University of Calabar for
   appropriate sanctions applicable to acts of both Major and
   Gross – misconduct.

The panel makes this recommendation in
view of Prof. Ndifon’s antecedents in the Faculty of Law, which
from the testimonies given by both staff and students are in
clear violations of the extant rules and regulations governing the
conditions of service of staff of the University of Calabar. He
has used his position as a lecturer and his position as Dean of
the Faculty of Law for non- edifying purposes, frustrating, traumatizing and jeopardizing the future of some of the
students, as well as the lecturers.

2. The suspended Dean should be made to refund over three
   million naira (N3m) realized from the payments made by the law
   students for the Law Journal which he neither published nor
   gave to the students.
3. That Comfort Jumbo be given another supplementary
   examination since the suspended Dean collected her scripts for
   Law of Evidence, law of Equity and Land law.
4. That the acting Dean should without delay arrange internal
   defense for Barrister Anne Eruegi Agi to defend her Ph.D and encourage same to put in for promotion in the next promotion
   exercise.
5. That the university should make a rule to stop lecturers from
   asking students to come and see them at odd (after official)
   hours and if need be, encourage the culture of not locking their
   offices when consulting with students. This is consistent with
   global best practice.
6. The former accountant of the Faculty of law, Mrs. Aniekan
   Udeme Ekwere should be reprimanded for imposing
   N1000/2000 on the students for stamping clearance receipts.
7. The former Faculty Officer, Mr. Robert Omang should be
   cautioned for not seeking approval for the N500 he charged the
   students, although such was meant to meet a need in the Faculty.
8. The university should bend backwards so as to come to the aid
   of some law students who have been roaming around because
   of the lapses in the Faculty of Law over the years. There should
   be a call for such to come for supplementary examinations or
   mop up. This will go a long way to help the University gain the
   confidence among stakeholders and prove to the wider society
   that the University cares and is not indifferent.
9. Further steps should be taken to clean up the mess in the
   Faculty of Law. The seeds of discord planted over the years
   need to be uprooted. The culture of borderization seems to be
   entrenched both among staff and students. Such is unhealthy
   for academic standards, discipline and merit. The younger
   academics in the Faculty therefore, need re-orientation to the
   noble ideals and values the University system stands for. This
   can be achieved if they are willing to make conscious efforts to
   work on some of the barriers that stand in the way of critical
   thinking such as egocentrism and socio-centrism. It is indeed possible with God on the side of the University for old things to
   pass away and for everything to become new in the Faculty of
   Law, University of Calabar, Calabar.
10. CONCLUSION

The members of the Panel wish to thank the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Florence Banku Obi for counting them worthy for this
assignment. We hope that the above recommendations would be
implemented by Management for the good of the Faculty of Law, the
University and humanity.

Read full report here.

BBC reports that the tragic death of an Indian schoolgirl has laid bare the consequences of “Eve-teasing” – a popular South Asian euphemism which many say trivialises the street harassment and assault of women.

The short CCTV video of two Indian girls riding bicycles starts off quite innocuously.

Dressed in their school uniform – tunics, salwar bottoms and scarves – the teenagers are riding side by side on a near-empty road.

But within seconds, the calm of the scene is shattered.

Two men on a motorbike overtake them and one of them pulls away the scarf of one of the girls. Immediately she loses her balance and her cycle moves right and collides with a second motorbike coming from behind.

As she and the riders fall on the road, the 17-year-old is run over by a third motorbike coming from the opposite direction….

Continue reading here…

In a bid to enforce his fundamental rights following an allegation of harassment, a University lecturer and rights activist, Prof. Chijioke Uwasomba has filed an action at a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory against Colonel Abubakar Abdulkadir Alkali of the Special Investigation Bureau of the Nigeria Army Military Police.

Uwasomba is also demanding the sum of N10 million as exemplary damages for threat of to arrest him by the police at the instance of the Army Colonel.

No date has been fixed for hearing of the case, while it had yet to be assigned to a judge.

The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, was also listed as second respondent in the suit marked W/7744/23 and which processes were obtained on Tuesday.

The plaintiff in a Fundamental Human Rights Enforcement filed by his lawyers, Onyeisi Chiemeke and Abdul Mahmud, said he got invitations with threats of arrest from the police following a breach of agreement by the respondent.

Uwasomba, a lecturer in the Department of English at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife therefore demanded, among others, “the sum of N10 million as exemplary damages for the said wrongful invitation” and threat to arrest him by the personnel of the police at the instance of Colonel Alkali for no legal justification.

He also demanded a declaration that the orders for his invitation and arrest by the police and its agents “based on the misleading information” by Alkali of a business transaction (agency relationship) between them was wrong, unlawful, illegal and a violation of his fundamental rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement as guaranteed by Sections 35, 41 and 44 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and Article 6, 12 and 14 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The OAU don asked the court to restrain the respondent, its servants, agents and/or privies, jointly or severally, or any law enforcement agency acting pursuant to their instructions from threatening, harassing, arresting or detaining him and members of his family based on the complaint of the first respondent, in violation of his rights to dignity of human person, personal liberty, freedom of movement and right to work guaranteed by Sections 34, 35, 37 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and Articles 5, 6 12 & 15 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement Act) (Cap. A9) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Uwasomba also asked the court to declare that the first and second respondents were not empowered by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or any other statute or instrument to threaten, harass, arrest or detain him in violation of his Fundamental Rights to dignity of human person, personal liberty, freedom of movement and right to work guaranteed by Sections 35, 37 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and Articles 5, 6 12 and 15 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement Act) (Cap. A9) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 over a commercial or third party commercial transactions.