Sexual Harassment Trial: Court Grants UNICAL Don N300m Bail,
An investigator with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the star witness in the ongoing trial of Professor Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, have both testified in court against the University Don and his lawyer, Barrister Sunny Anyanwu.
This is even as the court granted N250 million and N50 million bail respectively to the first and second defendants in the case.
ICPC had arraigned Ndifon and Anyanwu on four amended count-charge bordering on sexual harassment and attempt to perverse the cause of justice contrary to sections 8, 18 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and Section 182 of the Penal Code Cap. 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, 2006.
At the resumed trial, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja granted Professor Ndifon bail “in the interest of justice and medical ground”.
The conditions listed for the bail of the first defendant(Professor Cyril Ndifon) include N250 million and two sureties in like some, each of the sureties should be owners of property within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with registered titles with a minimum valuation of N150 million and submission of the sureties bank statements.
Other conditions include submission of the first defendant’s international passport which is to be deposited with the Registrar of the Court, filing of an affidavit of undertaking not to interfere with the prosecution witnesses and readiness to face trial and not cause delay to trial.
The second defendant, Barrister Sunny Anyanwu, was granted N50 million bail with other conditions similar to that of the first defendant.
So far, two prosecution witnesses have testified in court in respect to the alleged sexual harassment and allegation of attempt to perverse the cause of justice leveled against the University don and his lawyer.
The first witness, an investigator with the ICPC, had told the court how the first defendant (Professor Ndifon) was arrested following a petition of sexual harassment, official corruption and abuse of office submitted against him.
She also told the court that some nude pictures and videos of certain contacts (who were students of the first defendant) were found in his phone when his WhatsApp messaging application was subjected to forensic examination.
On her part, the second Prosecution witness, identified as ‘TKJ’ (not real name) told the Court that the first defendant had demanded for oral sex and her virginity in exchange for an admission into the Law degree programme in the University.
She also narrated how the second defendant (Sunny Anyanwu) purportedly called her on phone to shun the invitation of the ICPC.
The trial has been adjourned to Monday, 12th of February, 2024 for continuation of hearing.
