Sexual Harassment Case: Professor Ndifon pressurised me to trade my virginity for admission, says witness

A female victim of sexual harassment at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), said alleged and suspended Professor Cyril Ndifon pressurised her to trade her virginity in exchange for an admission into the institution.

Penpushing reports that the lady who is star witness for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) made this known while being led in evidence by the commission’s lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha before Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court, Abuja

The undergraduate who is 2nd prosecution witness (PW2), narrated that she came in contact with Ndifon, during her Diploma 1 programme through some students who were posting condolence messages to the lecturer over the death of his mother.

‘So, being a student of the Faculty of Law, I decided to send my condolence messages to him. After that, he thanked me and asked what level I was and I told him I was in Diploma 1. After some days, I made a post on my WhatsApp status and he asked, ‘Is this you?’ and I replied, ‘Yes sir’. He asked where I was and I told him I wasn’t in Calabar. He told me that whenever I returned, I should try and see him and I said okay’, she said.

Penpushing further reports that the lady told the court that on returning to school, the Professor called her to inquire if she was back and she answered in the affirmative, and asked her to see him in his office

‘He asked me to see him in his office. After my lectures that day, I went to his office. When I got there, he had many visitors waiting for him. He asked that I wait for him. After some hours, he dismissed his visitors and asked me to lock the door. I did as he instructed. He stood up from his seat and asked me to hug him’.

‘I moved back and he asked if I was scared. I nodded my head. He said I should not be scared and that I should see him as a father. He requested for the hug again. I gave him a side hug. He asked me if this was how I hug my boyfriend, I told him I don’t have a boyfriend. He asked if it was a man friend I have, and I told him I had none’.

‘He held my waist and told me I don’t have to bother about admission and that he brought the Diploma of Law into the faculty. He said he made about 50 students transited to the LLB programme’, the lady stated.

Penpushing also reports that the prosecting witness told the court that the embattled Professor again held her waist and she tried to free herself from him, while the university teacher asked why she was behaving like a baby

‘He told me to stop doing that and asked why was I doing like a baby. He asked if I was a virgin, and I said yes. He said am I sure? He said that it was very good. He asked, ‘Can you give it (my virginity) to me? I shouted, Jesus! He said I should give it to him and he told me he would give me admission. I told him I would think about it’, she added.

‘He (Ndifon) touched my chest, which is my breast area. He said he never knew I was this big. While all these were going on, people would come and knock and go. I asked him, why does he not want to open the door, he asked me to forget it’.

‘When I asked him why he was the one that gave up to 50 persons admission, he told me he was the owner of the diploma course and that I should not bother myself that I will get the admission,” she added.

Penpushing reports that the female student told the court that the Professor equally asked her to visit him on a public holiday, and he begged her to give him “a blow job” after confirming he was on her menstrual cycle.

‘On a public holiday, he asked me to come to his office, He pulled his trousers. I told him to stop and that I was on my period (menstruation). He asked won’t I give him my virginity again. I said I was on my period. He put his hand inside my pad. He asked when my period would finish and asked me to sit down’.

‘He brought out his manhood and asked that I give him a blow job. I told him I can’t. He said I shouldn’t embarrass him. He put his manhood back inside his trousers and told me to leave his office. When I was about leaving, I begged him that I was sorry.

‘That day, I was not on my period; I just had to wear the pad because of the advances he had been making at me. I went back to WhatsApp to apologise and told him I was sorry. He was my only hope for the admission, something I had looked for years’

Penpushing further reports that the lady told the court that after the incident, the suspended dean began pressuring her for nude videos to be forwarded to him, adding that before she clould say anything, the Professor ended the call

‘He asked me to make a nude video and send it to him. Before I could say anything, he ended the call. Later, he called again and demanded the video. I told him that I was still a virgin and he ended the call.

‘I sent him a message on WhatsApp that I’m still very tight. He told me he would give me admission that I should not worry I should send the video. After so many calls, I had to send the video to him,” she said.

Penpushing also reports that the witness explained that even and despite the sexual harassment protests on campus, the suspended dean requested more nude photographs from her, adding that at that stage she stopped responding to his calls and demands

‘He kept requesting for more. I stopped replying to him for some time. He called me and asked that I should send another from my chin downwards. The pressure from him was much. I agreed. I sent a view once he said it was deleted. This particular one from chin was after the sexual harassment protest in UNICAL.”

Penpushing further reports that the undergraduate informed the court that while the university panel probe was ongoing, the Professor came to the front of her hostel in a tinted glass car, and joined him in the car and was having a discussion when Ndifon tried to put his hand inside her trousers.

The prosecuting and star witness  said that after stopping the embattled Professor  from doing that, he brought out his manhood and forcefully put it in her mouth, and tried to put his manhood inside her trousers which she removed

‘He tried to put his hand inside my trousers, and I removed it. He said, ‘What is it again?’ He brought out his manhood inside the car. He said I should suck and make him happy inside the car. I told him again I was in my period, and he said, is it every day I was seeing my period?’

‘He bent my head to suck in front of my hostel. I begged him I wasn’t feeling fine but he didn’t listen.I told him I was fasting but he refused. He pushed my neck to suck it. I begged and begged but he forced it till he entered my mouth. He told me sorry that I should clear my tears before leaving his car’.

Penpushing also reports that the lady said the Professor later transferred N3000 into her account to treat herself after requesting the account details, and after giving her evidence, the prosecution counsel sought to tender the N3000 bank receipt sent to the witness as evidence and it was admitted as an exhibit after Ndifon’s lawyer, Joe Agi, withdrew his objection.

The judge Justice Omotosho, however, adjourned the matter until February 7, 2024 for continuation, while it is recalled that Ndifon was, on January 25,2024, re-arraigned alongside Sunny Anyanwu as 1st and 2nd defendants on an amended four-count charge of sexual harassment and attempt to perverse the cause of justice.

Penpushing reports that Anyanwu, who is one of the lawyers in the defence, was joined in the amended charge filed on January 22, 2024 by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on the allegation that he called one of the prosecution witnesses on her mobile telephone during the pendency of the charge against Ndifon to threaten her.

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