Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 17 for judgment the sexual harassment case against the suspended Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), Professor Cyril Ndifon.
Justice James Omotosho fixed the date at Tuesday’s proceedings after lawyers to parties made their final submissions and adopted their final written addresses.
Ndifon is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) along with his former lawyer, Sunny Anyanwu on a four-count amended charge.
The two are accused of alleged sexual harassment, cybercrime and attempt to pervert the course of justice.
The prosecution alleged that Ndifon, while serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Law at UNICAL, asked the female Diploma student (whose identity was shield) to send him “pornographic, indecent and obscene photographs of herself” through WhatsApp chats.
It later amended the charge and added Anyanwu as the second defendant upon an allegation that he called the prosecution’s star witness on her mobile phone during the pendency of the charge against Ndifon to threaten her.
The prosecution, represented by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, closed its case on February 14, 2024 after calling four witnesses, following which the defence Fanta made a no-case submission, which the court overruled in a ruling delivered on March 6, 2024.
Justice Omotosho, in the ruling, held that the prosecution was able to establish a prima facie case against the two defendants to require them to enter a defence.
The judge then, ordered Ndifon and Anyanwu to enter their defence, which they later did by calling some witnesses.
