Prof. Ndifon, who opened his defense, stated that the former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, and former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, reviewed his case and concluded he had no case to answer. He further alleged that the ICPC’s charges were baseless and politically motivated.
The ICPC had re-arraigned Ndifon and his lawyer, Sunny Anyanwu, on January 25, 2024, on four counts of alleged sexual harassment and attempts to pervert the course of justice. The commission accused Ndifon, while serving as Dean of the Faculty of Law, of requesting a female diploma student to send him “pornographic, indecent, and obscene photographs” via WhatsApp. Anyanwu was also charged with allegedly threatening one of the prosecution witnesses. Both pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court had earlier denied bail to the defendants to allow a key witness to testify without interference. On February 9, 2024, the court granted Ndifon and Anyanwu bail of ₦250 million and ₦50 million, respectively, with two sureties each.
During the trial, the ICPC presented evidence, including testimony from a female diploma student, identified as TKJ, who accused Ndifon of forcing her to perform oral sex in exchange for admission into UNICAL. Under cross-examination, TKJ admitted that she did not include this claim in her initial statement to the ICPC, citing fear and shame.
An ICPC forensic analyst, Lucy Ogechi Chima, testified that nude photos and incriminating WhatsApp chats involving TKJ were found on Ndifon’s phone. However, the ICPC analyst admitted that TKJ’s phone was not analyzed.
The prosecution closed its case on February 14, 2024, after presenting additional evidence, including testimonies and forensic findings.
At Monday’s proceedings, Ndifon testified as the first defense witness. He stated that the allegations stemmed from an incident in 2015 and claimed that investigations by the police at the state and federal levels cleared him of wrongdoing. He presented a police report and other documents as evidence, which the court admitted as exhibits.
Ndifon alleged that a former ICPC chairman, Ekpo Nta Hart, vowed to prosecute him for rape during a public colloquium, prompting him to file a suit challenging the ICPC’s actions. He claimed the case is still pending at the Court of Appeal.
The professor also accused a member of the ICPC legal team, Barr. Adekunle Sogunle, of having a personal interest in the case. He alleged that Sogunle, who signed the initial charge against him, was later honored by UNICAL, suggesting bias.
Ndifon presented additional evidence, including photos of students welcoming him back to the university and certificates of compliance. The court admitted these as exhibits despite objections from the prosecution.
Prof. Ndifon informed the court that the ICPC disregarded a letter from the AGF exonerating him, insisting that it did not matter. His counsel, Joe Agi (SAN), requested an adjournment to continue the defense.
Justice Omotosho adjourned the case to Tuesday, January 14, 2025, for further proceedings.
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