Alleged Sexual Harassment: UNICAL Professor Denies ICPC’s Allegations in Court

Prof. Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), on Tuesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that he did not solicit or receive explicit photographs from anyone, refuting the sexual harassment allegations brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Ndifon, who is standing trial alongside his lawyer, Samuel Anyanwu, faces four charges including sexual harassment, cybercrime, and attempting to pervert the course of justice. The ICPC accuses him of requesting explicit, indecent, and obscene photographs from a female diploma student at UNICAL via WhatsApp messages during his tenure as Dean of the Faculty of Law.

Defendant’s Defense

During the trial, Prof. Ndifon denied the charges, stating that he had not requested or received any explicit images from the student, identified as TKJ. His defense counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Joe Agi, led him in giving evidence.

Ndifon told the court that while the ICPC officers questioned him about an old rape case, they did not mention the star witness, TKJ, until he was formally charged in court. He acknowledged knowing TKJ through her uncle, who had asked for help in recovering money that TKJ allegedly paid to a person in the Vice Chancellor’s office to secure admission to the faculty, but failed.

He explained that the student later enrolled in the diploma program, and he advised her to study hard to gain direct entry into the law faculty. Prof. Ndifon added that he had three phones, with his iPhone being his main line, not the Oppo phone where the alleged photographs were found. He further denied the ICPC’s claims that photographs were taken from his phone, stating that the images in question had been edited.

Refuting Allegations of Cyber Harassment

The professor denied using his Oppo phone to communicate with TKJ, claiming that they had communicated through her number, which the ICPC did not investigate. He also disputed the authenticity of Exhibit H, which purportedly contained pictures and chats between him and the complainant, stating that the document appeared to have been edited and did not feature his face or that of the witness.

“I did not send any nude photographs nor did I solicit any. The ICPC did not ask for her phone to check,” he said in his testimony.

Prof. Ndifon also argued that the ICPC had not invited him to witness the extraction of the alleged evidence, adding that he was unaware of who had informed the ICPC about the supposed complaint. He stressed that TKJ had made her statement to the ICPC in November 2023, after he was charged in October.

TKJ’s Admission and Testimony

Prof. Ndifon claimed that TKJ, now a student at the Faculty of Law, was admitted to the university despite not meeting the required qualifications, allegedly after testifying against him. He further claimed that she was ranked as the top candidate for supplementary exams in law, raising questions about her credibility as a witness.

“I’m totally shocked she came to testify, because nothing like that happened. The allegation against me occurred when I was no longer in the faculty of law,” he said.

Prof. Ndifon emphasized that, at the time of the allegations, he was no longer part of the faculty, and thus, could not have made any improper advances or sexual requests to the complainant.

Cross-Examination by ICPC Counsel

During cross-examination by ICPC’s counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, Prof. Ndifon confirmed that lecturers from the Faculty of Law also taught at the diploma institute but denied knowledge of whether Dr. Owoche, a faculty member, taught there.

The prosecution also raised a 2015 case involving a 20-year-old 400-level student who accused him of rape and exam malpractice. The defendant admitted that the matter had escalated after the university reported the incident to the Nigerian Law School in Bwari. However, he denied having any involvement in exposing the alleged cheating during the exam.

Next Steps

The case continues to unfold as the court examines the defense presented by Prof. Ndifon and his lawyer. The trial has garnered public attention, especially given the gravity of the allegations against a prominent academic figure.