UNICAL: Nude Photos Of Student Found In Suspended Professor’s Phone — ICPC Investigator Tells Court

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered journalists, litigants, parties and visitors not to reveal the identity of a victim who filed sexual harassment and gratification charges against the suspended Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Professor Cyril Ndifon and one Barrister Sunny Anyanwu.

Justice James Omotosho gave the directive on Wednesday “to protect the victim,” ruling that the victim would be identified as “TKJ”.

The judge also said that the suspects are still presumed innocent until they are found guilty by the court.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had arraigned the university don for contravening Section 8 of the Corrupt Practices Act by “unethically and habitually requested/solicited and received sexual gratification cum pleasure in exchange for grades and mark upgrades from his female students.”

Count 4 of the amended charge reads: “That you Professor Cyril Osim Ndifon (M) and Barrister Sunny Anyanwu (M) sometime in the month of November, 2023 or thereabouts, at Abuja within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire among yourselves to call “TKJ” (Not real name) on her mobile telephone number: 070**, a prosecution witness in charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/511/2023 between Federal Republic of Nigeria and Professor Cyril Osim Ndifon during the pendency of the said criminal charge, and threatened her not to honour the invitation of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission in respect of the criminal investigation against Professor Cyril Osim Ndifon which conduct, you both knew was intended to perverse the cause of justice and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 182 of the Penal Code Cap. 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, 2006.”

The duo pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), graced the proceedings on Wednesday.

Entering the witness box, an official of the ICPC told the court that there was a forensic analysis on the phone of the defendant and it revealed nude photos of several contacts including the witness, TKJ.

The official said the commission confronted the first defendant with its findings but he refused to make any statement.

The official said when the professor refused to speak, the ICPC probed his lawyer with the same allegations but he denied it.

The witness said the forensic report and the call log of KYJ and other information from the network provider (Airtel) shows that the second defendant was the one that called the victim to refrain from exposing the don.

“We retrieved the lawyer’s phone from him and he eventually made his statement before one Barrister Fidelis Isong.”

The prosecution witness added the ICPC investigation in TKJ ‘s case showed that sex, nude pictures and videos were allegedly “being requested by the first defendant as currency for admission of TKJ.”

Forensic analysis in respect of the seized phones, statement of the first and second defendants, and a letter from Airtel to the Chairman, ICPC, were all tendered by the anti-graft agency as exhibits and they were admitted by the court.

During cross examination, the defendants’ lawyer, Wilberforce Otuagona, asked the ICPC official if she did all the forensic analysis as a lawyer, to which she said no, adding that she analysed the report presented to her by the ICPC team.

The witness was asked if the Dean and the victim were in a relationship or not.

The official said the only relationship she knows “is student-teacher relationship.”

THE WHISTLER recalls that on October 4, 2023, ICPC in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), arrested the Professor in Calabar, Cross River State, after he was alleged to have shunned several invitations extended to him.

The professor and his lawyer, attended the proceedings from the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service.