By CrossRiverWatch Admin
A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar Thursday, okayed the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to continue investigations into the alleged rape of a 20 year old 400 level law student of the University of Calabar(UNICAL) by the former Dean of the Law faculty, Professor Cyril Ndifon in his office.
Ndifon had sought to bar the ICPC from investigating him following a Police report which exonerated him from demanding sex from the student but a statement issued by ICPC spokesperson Rasheedat Okoduwa on Saturday says the trial judge, Justice I. E. Ekwo set aside the police report and ruled that it was within the purview of the ICPC to investigate the matter as stated in the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
Justice Ekwo also ruled that the offence of sexual gratification was contrary to Sections 8, 9, and 19 of the said act which refer to any public officer who receives benefit of any kind in the discharge of his duties or uses his position to confer corrupt advantage upon himself reports The Punch.
The victim had petitioned the ICPC over a case of rape in Ndifon’s office following his invitation to her to rewrite a cancelled test there and after preliminary investigations, the varsity’s management suspended him indefinitely pending his exoneration by investigating authorities.
Ndifon dragged the institution to the National Industrial Court claiming that the institution’s management had no power to suspend him beyond the statutory three months under the University of Calabar Act, LFN, 2004.
But, Justice Eunice Agbakoba in a judgment delivered on September 21, 2016 dismissed the suit no. NICN/CA/01/2016.