The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, November 17, sentenced the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof. Cyril Ndifon, to five years imprisonment without an option of fine for s3xual harassment.
Justice James Omotosho held that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had proved counts one and two against the UNICAL professor beyond a reasonable doubt.
The judge therefore sentenced Ndifon to two years imprisonment on count one and five years on count two. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Justice Omotosho, however, discharged and acquitted Sunny Anyanwu, initially a member of Ndifon’s legal team, of all charges against him.
He held that the anti-corruption agency failed to establish any link between Anyanwu and the offences in counts three and four.
The ICPC had, in an amended charge dated January 19, 2024, filed a four-count charge against Ndifon (1st defendant) and his lawyer, Anyanwu (2nd defendant).
Ndifon had been the sole defendant when the case was first filed, but Anyanwu was later joined after allegations emerged that he attempted to pervert the course of justice by calling the star witness during the pendency of the case to threaten her.
Anyanwu, while serving as Ndifon’s lawyer, was alleged to have called the witness, identified as TKJ, advising her not to honour ICPC invitations or write any statement concerning the s3xual harassment allegations against his client.
