28.11.2025
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said Prof. Cyril Ndifon’s conviction marks a watershed win in Nigeria’s fight against sexual offences, abuse of office and impunity.
ICPC’s spokesman, Mr Okor Odey, said this at a news briefing to present and clarify the facts behind the judgment delivered by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The court had on Nov. 18 sentenced Ndifon, the suspended dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), to five years imprisonment for sexual harassment.
Odey said the verdict in the case of the Federal Republic of Nigeria versus Prof. Cyril Ndifon was an exceptional outcome of a criminal trial.
“It is also a declaration that the rule of law would penetrate the deepest recesses of privilege and authority.
“The judgment is also an indictment of the culture of impunity that allows predators to hide within trusted institutions.
“The conviction signalled the commission’s unwavering resolve to protect the vulnerable and hold powerful individuals accountable,” he added.
According to Odey, the conviction affirms that public trust is not a license for exploitation and that institutions should serve as shields for the innocent and not sanctuaries for offenders.
He noted that the court’s findings provide both the legal and moral basis for a new era of accountability.
Odey said that the court convicted Ndifon on Count 1 for violating Section 24 of the Cybercrime Act, 2015