The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an order for the remand of Prof. Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), in the Kuje Correctional Centre. The order also applies to Mr. Sunny Anyanwu, one of Ndifon’s lawyers, pending the hearing of their bail application.
This decision was made by Justice James Omotosho after Ndifon and Anyanwu were re-arraigned on an amended four-count charge. The charges are related to alleged sexual harassment and an attempt to pervert the course of justice. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is the complainant in this case, with Ndifon and Anyanwu identified as the 1st and 2nd defendants in the amended charge (marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/511/2023).
According to the charges, Ndifon, during his tenure as the Dean of the Faculty of Law at UNICAL between May and September 2023, allegedly compelled a diploma student, identified as Miss TKJ, to send pornographic and indecent photographs of herself to him via WhatsApp. This action is said to violate Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition & Prevention) Act 2015.
Anyanwu, in count three, is accused of making a threatening phone call to one of the prosecution witnesses in November 2023 at the behest of Ndifon. The call was intended to dissuade the witness from cooperating with the ICPC’s criminal investigation against Ndifon, with the alleged aim of perverting the course of justice. This offense is said to be punishable under Section 182 of the Penal Code Cap. 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, 2006.
It is worth noting that Justice Omotosho had previously granted Ndifon temporary bail on January 10 to undergo glaucoma surgery. However, the recent developments have led to the order for their remand pending further legal proceedings.
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