‘Your title won’t save you’, ICPC roars after Ndifon conviction

By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja

THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has hailed the conviction of former University of Calabar Law Dean, Professor Cyril Ndifon, as a landmark victory for justice and a decisive warning that authority will no longer shield abusers in Nigerian institutions.

The Federal High Court in Abuja found him guilty of offences under the Cybercrime Act and the ICPC Act after a trial that tested both digital evidence and institutional accountability.

The Commission’s position was delivered at a press briefing in Abuja by J. Okor Odey, ICPC’s Spokesperson and Head of Media and Public Communications, before an audience that included the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), FIDA, and civil society groups.

“This judgment is a declaration that the rule of law will penetrate the deepest recesses of power and privilege,” Odey said, describing the verdict as a turning point in confronting abuse of authority across Nigeria’s institutions.

The court convicted Ndifon for inducing a female student, identified by the pseudonym TKJ, to send inappropriate images and for abusing his office to seek personal advantage.

His co-accused, Barrister Sunny Anyanwu, was acquitted after the judge ruled that specific allegations of witness interference lacked corroboration.

Odey said the split judgment highlighted the Commission’s adherence to due process.
“Our commitment to the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt is absolute. Justice is never a witch-hunt,” he stated.

The ICPC said the case exposed how power disparities within academic environments can be weaponised.
The court accepted the victim’s testimony as credible and courageous, with the judge faulting the defendant’s conduct as a gross misuse of professional standing.

The Commission disclosed that its investigation began after student protests went viral in September 2023. Signed consent was obtained before retrieving the defendants’ phones, and forensic analysis of digital communications became the backbone of the prosecution. The court validated the evidence, affirming that relevance and proper acquisition remain central to admissibility.

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