A four count charge bordering on sexual harassment, official corruption, and abuse of office, contrary to Sections 8, 18, and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 has been filed against the suspended Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UniCal), Professor Cyril Ndifon by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Spokesperson of the ICPC, Mrs Azuka Ogugua, in a statement released on Monday revealed that the filing of the four-count charge against the embattled Professor is a sequel to the conclusion of the Commission’s investigation into the professor’s alleged gross misconduct against some of his students.
The four-count charge against Ndifon, in the charge sheet number FHC/ABJ/CR/511/2023, focused on sexual harassment, official corruption, and abuse of office, contrary to Sections 8, 18, and 19 of the Corrupt Practises and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Mrs. Ogugua further explained that Ndifon was arrested by ICPC in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) on October 4 in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, after he ignored several invitations extended to him.
The ICPC Spokesperson further disclosed that, “One of the counts read: That you, Professor Cyril Osim Ndifon (m) between June-September, 2023, at Calabar, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, and while being a public officer charged with responsibility for the certification of students as fit in learning and character as a prerequisite for the award of a Bachelor’s degree in Law and admission into the Nigeria Law School, used your office and position as the Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar to gratify yourself by soliciting nude photographs and videos from one Ms ABC (not real name), a Year 2 Diploma student of the University of Calabar, through WhatsApp chats on your telephone number 0803***** and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under S. 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
Arraignment is yet to be fixed.
