A witness simply identified as TKJ has alleged that suspended dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL) Prof. Cyril Ndifon pressurised her to trade her virginity in exchange for admission into the institution.
TKJ, who is the star witness and second prosecution witness (PW2) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), made the allegation on Tuesday before Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court, Abuja while being led in evidence by the commission’s lawyer Osuobeni Akponimisingha.
She narrated that she came in contact with Ndifon during her Diploma 1 Programme through some senior 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.
The PW2 said on returning to school, Ndifon called her to inquire if she was back and she answered in the affirmative.
She narrated: “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 didn’t have a boyfriend. He asked if it was a man friend I had 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 diploma of law into the faculty.
“He said he made about 50 students transit to the LLB programme”.
The witness told the court that the embattled professor again held her waist and she tried to free herself from him.
“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 said.
According to the witness, Ndifon touched my chest which is her 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 that I should not bother myself that I will get the admission”, she added.
TKJ, who told the court that the don also asked her to visit him on a public holiday, begged her to give him “a blow job” after confirming he was on her menstrual cycle.
She said: “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 for years”.
TKJ said after the incident, the suspended dean began pressurising her for nude videos.
“He asked I 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.
The witness said that despite the sexual harassment protests on campus, the suspended dean requested more nude photographs from her.
“He kept requesting for more. I stopped replying him for some time. He called me and asked I 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”.
TKJ also told the court that while the university panel probe was ongoing, Ndifon came to the front of her hostel in a tinted glass car.
She said she joined him in the car and was having a discussion when he tried to put his hand inside her trousers.
The PW2 said that after stopping him from doing that, he brought out his manhood and forcefully put it in her mouth.
She said : “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”.
She said Ndifon later transferred N3,000 into her account to treat herself after requesting her account details
After giving her evidence, the prosecution counsel sought to tender the N3,000 bank receipt sent to the witness as evidence and it was admitted as exhibit after Ndifon’s lawyer, Joe Agi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, withdrew his objection.
Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter till 7th February for continuation.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ndifon was re-arraigned on 25th January alongside Sunny Anyanwu as first and second defendants on an amended four-count charge bordering on alleged sexual harassment and attempt to perverse the cause of justice.
Anyanwu, who is one of the lawyers in the defence, was joined in the amended charge filed on 22nd January by the ICPC on allegation that he called one of the prosecution witnesses on her mobile telephone during the pendency of the charge against Ndifon to threaten her.
