A federal high court sitting in Abuja has ordered the remand of the suspended dean of the faculty of law at the University of Calabar, UNICAL, Cyril Ndifon.
Professor Ndifon was suspended in August 2023 for sexually harassing some of the female students.
An investigative panel was set up to probe the allegation following protests by the students of the university.
The panel however, found the professor guilty of sexual harassment and abuse of office.
Following the panel’s reports, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, in October filed criminal charges against the suspended dean.
At the court session on Monday, Ndifon pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge brought against him.
In count one, he was accused of soliciting nude photographs and videos from a year two female diploma students through WhatsApp.
In count two, he was alleged to have also requested nude photographs and videos from a 400-level female student of the Faculty of Law with the plan of changing her project supervisor to himself to guarantee favourable grades for her.
In count three, he was alleged to have requested to see photographs of a 16-year-old prospective post-UTME female student, as an inducement to consider her for admission into the faculty of law.
Count four accused him of causing a female student to send pornographic, indecent and obscene photographs of herself to him through WhatsApp.
Okon Efut, Ndifon’s counsel, moved a bail application dated January 2 and filed on January 3, praying the court to grant his client bail on health grounds.
Speaking from the dock, Ndifon said: “My lord, I was supposed to have eye surgery on Glaucoma”
However, ICPC lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, opposed the bail application, alleging that one of the counsels to Ndifon threatened the commission’s star witness on the phone.
The presiding judge, James Omotosho in his ruling, ordered Ndifon to be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre until January 10 when the bail application will be heard.
