Tag: UNICAL

UNICAL

  • Suspended UNICAL Prof asks court to quash charge filed against him

    Suspended UNICAL Prof asks court to quash charge filed against him

    Prof. Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), has prayed a Federal High Court, Abuja to quash the sexual harassment charge against him.

    Ndifon, who told Justice James Omotosho in a further affidavit filed by his lawyer, Joe Agi, SAN, insisted that Osuobeni Akponimisingha, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)’s counsel handling the case, was not qualified to practise as lawyer.

    He restated that Akponimisingha’s name is allegedly not on the roll of Legal Practitioners in Nigeria pursuant to Section 2 of the Legal Practitioners Act.

    The further affidavit, deposed to by Ndifon’s co-defendant, Sunny Anyanwu, was in response to ICPC lawyer’s counter affidavit filed against their motion on notice.

    The suspended dean, in the earlier motion dated and filed March 15, had told the court that the amended charge was incompetent as a result of the disputed identity of the anti-graft agency’s lawyer.

    He said the development had robbed the court of its jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

    He, therefore, prayed the court to quashed the four-count charge against him and his co-defendant, Mr Sunny Anyanwu.

    Akponimisingha, in his counter affidavit dated March 20, accused the suspended dean and his legal team of being jealous of his academic qualifications.

    The lawyer, who attached his Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)’s Practising Licence document dated 2016 with the counter affidavit, said he graduated from law school.

    He said contrary to the defence argument, the appellation “Dr” added to his name was as a result of an additional academic qualification acquired by him after he had been called to the Bar as a legal practitioner.

    He equally alleged that the names of the lead counsel to the defendants, Joe Agi, SAN and other senior advocates appearing with him in the criminal case, were not on roll of Legal Practitioners in Nigeria with the appendage of “SAN.”

    He argued that the fact that the appellation “Dr” was added to his name did not make the amended charge liable to be struck out.

    Akponimisingha said he was duly called to the Nigerian Bar and had been licensed to practise law in the country.

    “That I know as a fact that justices presiding over cases in courts in Nigeria were called to the Bar only with their given names without the appellation ‘Hon. Justice.’

    “Therefore, the appellation ‘Hon. Justice’ added to their names by reason of their appointment as judges does not render their judgments invalid because their names do not appear on the roll call of Legal Practitioners as ‘Hon. Justices.’

    “The name Joe odey Agi, SAN is not on the roll of Legal Practitioners in Nigeria. What exists on the roll is Agi Joseph Odey, year of call, 1985,” he said

    Akponimisingha told the court that the present application by the defence was a delay tactics deployed to stall the smooth trial of the charge.

    He urged the court to discountenance their plea.

    But Ndifon, in a further affidavit deposed to by Anyanwu, a co-defendant, stated that contrary to Akponimisingha’s argument, the defence was not challenging the appellation “Dr” added to his name.

    Rather, he said their contention was that the name “Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha is not on the roll of Legal Practitioners in Nigeria and that a search conducted on the roll of Legal Practitioners in Nigeria revealed that one Ekoi A. Osuobeni was called to the Bar in Nigeria in the year 2012.

    “A copy of the computer print-out of the name of the said Ekoi A. Osuobeni from the Nigerian Bar Association Portal showing the names of’ Legal Practitioners on the roll in Nigeria as well as the certificate of compliance is attached as Exhibits B and C.”

    The suspended dean contended that there was a word of difference between “Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha” and “Ekoi A. Osuobeni.”

    According to him, both names are not the same person for the purpose of a professional register sanctioned by law pursuant to the Legal Practitioners Act.

    He urged the court to strike out the suit in the interest of justice.

    When the matter was called on Monday, the ICPC lawyer told Justice Omotosho that the defendant brought a letter stating that the learned silk in the matter was having another matter at the Supreme Court.

    Fisong Fidelis, who appeared for the defence, confirmed filing the letter before the court.

    Justice Omotosho, who expressed his displeasure about the way the matter had degenerated, said parties had left the main issue “and are now attacking their academic qualifications.”

    “I owe a duty to this court to protect the integrity of the legal profession. I don’t like the way this matter is going,” the judge held.

    The judge, therefore, directed the lawyers of the parties, including representatives of Federation of International Women Lawyers and NBA, to meet with him in his chambers on Wednesday so they could take a position on the development.

    Justice Omotosho consequently fixed April 19 to rule on Ndifon’s motion seeking an order allowing the defendants to have an independent forensic examiner to look at some of the exhibits tendered by the ICPC.

    Ndifon was, on Jan. 25, re-arraigned alongside Anyanwu 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 Jan. 22 by the ICPC on allegation that he called TKJ, the star witness, on her mobile telephone during the pendency of the charge against Ndifon to threatened her.

  • UniCal has no record of failed accreditation – Registrar

    UniCal has no record of failed accreditation – Registrar

    Mr Gabriel Egbe, Registrar, University of Calabar, (UniCal) on Tuesday said that the institution had no record of failed accreditation.

    Egbe, in a statement on behalf of the University management, was reacting to a warning allegedly made by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) in a publication.

    He said that the alleged warning was over the accreditation of Engineering courses in the university.

    According to the registrar, the title of the alleged publication credited to COREN is “Get Properly Accredited or Risk Blacklisting, Engineering Council warns UniCal, Adamawa Varsity.”

    The registrar noted that the publication was untrue and also wondered why COREN should allegedly be credited with such publication.

    He stressed that this was more pertinent as COREN was saddled with the responsibility of ensuring professional accreditation of Engineering programmes in Nigerian Universities.

    According to him, when COREN’s agitation for professional accreditation last came up, the professional body was duly informed that the National Universities Commission (NUC) must first conduct its accreditation before any professional body.

    Egbe said that this was in line with the established procedure.

    “In November 2023, NUC visited the institution for accreditation of all programmes that were due for the exercise including programmes in the five departments of the faculty of Engineering.

    The result of that exercise is still being awaited. The University has no record of failed accreditation with its engineering programmes as COREN is making people believe.

    “It is on the strength of the outcome that COREN will be officially invited by the university to come for its professional accreditation.

    “If COREN feels that it cannot wait for the NUC results then it should write to the University like other professional bodies are doing, giving us dates for their visits,” he said.

    The registrar asserted that using the public space to promote a campaign of ill-will and damage to the name of UniCal under the guise of rolling out a recommendation at its 181st Ordinary Council Meeting was not acceptable.

    He called for caution from COREN adding that as a professional body they should be more concerned with promoting and nurturing their would-be professionals.

  • UNICAL removes HOD for alleged failure to present students for convocation

    UNICAL removes HOD for alleged failure to present students for convocation

    The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof. Florence Obi, has relieved Prof. Victor Ecoma of his appointment as  the Head of Department of the university’s Fine and Applied Arts Department for alleged  negligence and incompetence.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the university’s Registrar, Mr Gabriel Egbe, on Monday.

    Obi said that Ecoma was removed because he failed to present students of his department for the 36th Convocation Ceremonies of the institution which held on March 22 and March 23.

    “Prof. Ecoma’s action is an act of negligence of duty and a display of incompetence.

    “He is directed to handover all properties of the institution in his possession to Prof. Echeta Chimezie, who has been appointed to take over from him,” the  vice-chancellor said.

  • UNICAL releases names of abducted students by gunmen

    UNICAL releases names of abducted students by gunmen

    Three undergraduates of the University of Calabar have been kidnapped by gunmen at the school campus two days ago.

    The UNICAL’s Vice Chancellor Prof Florence Banku Obi has revealed the names of the Kidnapped students.

    She gave the names of the abducted students as Dickson Oluwadamilola Ayomide of Genetics and Biotechnology, Ojang Precious Ebijin of Medicine and Surgery and Ugwu Chukwuemeka, also of Genetics and Biotechnology Departments of the University.

    It was gathered  that the incident happened on 29 March 2024 when gun-toting men stormed Freedom Hostel, owned by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at about 7:00pm and whisked the victims away to an unknown destination.

    An witnesses, whose name has been given as Emmanuel Effiom described the abduction as very brazen and terrifying.

    Effiom said: “Most of us even thought they were security personnel. They applied force when one of the guys resisted.

    Sources from the University confirmed that the offices of the Special Assistant Students’ Affairs and the Special Assistant Students’ Orientation to the Governor of Cross River State, the Student Union Government (SUG), and law enforcement agencies, have commenced a comprehensive investigation into the incident and see how they can rescue the victims unhurt.

  • Police confirm abduction of 3 UNICAL students

    Police confirm abduction of 3 UNICAL students

    The Police Command in Cross River, on Sunday, confirmed the abduction of three students of the University of Calabar (Unical).

    The spokesperson of the command, SP Irene Ugbo, who gave the confirmation, said the students were abducted on Thursday night at one of the university hostels inside the campus.

    Ugbo, who didn’t give details of the abduction, however, said the police were working in collaboration with other agencies to rescue the students.

    A source who pleaded anonymity gave the name of one of the students as Ojang Precious Ebejin, a 200-level student of the Department of Medicine and Surgery.

    The others are Ugwu Chukwuemeka, a 300-level student of the Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, and Damilola Dickson, a final-year student of the same Department.

  • ICPC lawyer not qualified to practice, Suspended UNICAL professor tells court

    ICPC lawyer not qualified to practice, Suspended UNICAL professor tells court

    Prof. Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), has told a Federal High Court, Abuja that Osuobeni Akponimisingha, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)’s counsel, was not qualified to practice as lawyer.

    Prof. Ndifon, through his lawyer, Joe Agi, SAN, made the allegation in a motion on notice marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/511/2023 before Justice James Omotosho.

    The suspended dean, who alleged that Akponimisingha’s name was not on the roll of legal practitioners in Nigeria pursuant to Section 2 of the Legal Practitioners Act, prayed the court to quashed the four-count charge against him and his co-defendant, Mr Sunny Anyanwu.

    In the motion dated and filed March 15, the senior lawyer told the court that the amended charge was incompetent as a result of the disputed identity of the anti-graft agency’s lawyer, and robbed the court of its jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

    Agi said he owed the court the duty to bring the alleged professional misconduct by Akponimisingha, as well as a breach of the law of the land, to the attention of the court as sworn to by him in his oath of declaration as Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

    According to him, the amended charge was preferred by one Dr Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha a person whose name is not on the roll of Legal Practitioners in Nigeria pursuant to Section 2 of the Legal Practitioners Act.

    “That Joshua E. Alobo who appears for the prosecution as counsel as a private legal oractitioner in a criminal case does not have the fiat of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation.

    “That both Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha and Joshua E. Alobo answer in this court and caused to print on their processes the title “Dr.” “Professor” when they do not have the academic qualifications to show for the titles, thereby misrepresenting themselves to the public and bringing legal profession to ridicule and shame,” he alleged.

    Agi, therefore, sought an order striking out the amended charge in the case, having been incompetent and “preferred by a person whose name is not on the roll of Legal Practitioners in Nigeria pursuant to Section 2 of the Legal Practitioners Act and thus robbing this court of its jurisdiction.

    “An order of court striking out all the appearance of Joshua E. Alobo from the prosecution counsel for appearing as a private legal practitioner in a criminal case without the fiat of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation.

    “An order of court referring both Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha and Joshua E. Alobo to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for answering and caused to print on their processes the title ‘Dr’ and ‘Professor’ when they do not have the academic qualifications to show for the titles thereby misrepresenting themselves to the public and bringing legal profession to ridicule and shame.”

    Also in the affidavit in support of the motion deposed to by Anyanwu, he said the grant of the application would aid the cause of justice and also aid the mandates of the ICPC established to fight corruption in all sphere of our nation.

    According to him, it will be in the interest of justice to allow the reliefs sought having regard to the entire circumstances of this case.

    Ndifon was, on Jan. 25, re-arraigned alongside Anyanwu 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 Jan. 22 by the ICPC on allegation that he called TKJ, the star witness, on her mobile telephone during the pendency of the charge against Ndifon to threatened her.

    NAN

  • Unical denies banning worship centres on campus

    Unical denies banning worship centres on campus

    Prof. Florence Obi, Vice Chancellor, University of Calabar (Unical),  says the university did not ban worship centres within its campus.

    Obi made the statement on Thursday at a meeting organised by the Chapel of Redemption, Unical campus.

    She said  the university authority only came up with a policy to regulate the establishment of worship centres within the campus.

    Obi said  the move was in line with  Federal Government’s policy on  creation of fellowships and churches within its establishments.

    The vice chancellor further said that the university allowed the Catholic Church, Protestant Chapel and a mosque to operate within its premises.

    ”These religious organisations are given land to build their worship centres within the university campus. We cannot allocate space to every church in town,” she said.

    She said that staff or students who could not worship in any of the approved centres on campus were free to worship outside the campus.

    ”We don’t allow fellowships in the classrooms, this can cause a lot of distractions,” she said.

  • ICPC closes case against UNICAL professor, lawyer

    ICPC closes case against UNICAL professor, lawyer

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on Wednesday, closed its case against Prof. Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), and his co-defendant, Sunny Anyanwu.

    ICPC’s counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, told Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court, Abuja after Bwaigu Fungo, the 4th prosecution witness, a Forensic and Intelligence Analyst with the commission, was cross-examined by the defence lawyer, Joe Agi, SAN.

    Akponimisingha had earlier informed the court that the anti-corruption commission had about seven witnesses and also planned to amend the charge to increase the witness number in proving their case against the defendants.

    Ndifon was, on Jan. 25, re-arraigned alongside Anyanwu as 1st and 2nd 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 Jan. 22 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 threatened her.

    They, however, pleaded not guilty to the counts.

    Justice Omotosho had, on Friday, granted bail to Ndifon. and Anyanwu in the sum of N250 million and N50 million respectively with two sureties each in the like sum.

    Upon resumed trial on Wednesday, Fungo’s cross-examination continued.

    When Agi asked the forensic analyst if he knew what Ndifon and TKJ, the female Diploma student alleged to have been sexually harassed, discussed in the call log, he said he did not know.

    When the lawyer asked the witness if he knew the first communication between Ndifon and TKJ, Fungo said from the analysis he carried out on the mobile phones, their first communication through the WhatsApp channel was on March 14, 2023 and the message was: “Good evening sir.”

    The witness, who also said that he did not analyse TKJ’s phone in the course of the investigation, said he was not given TKJ’s phone by the ICPC to analyse.

    After Fungo’s testimony, Akponimisingha told the court that the prosecution was closing its case.

    “This is the case for the prosecution and we have closed our case today,” he said.

    Responding, counsel to the defendants’, Agi, told the court that  they planned to file a no-case submission.

    He said he would need seven days to file the application.

    The ICPC lawyer assured the court that immediately the defence served him with the no-case submission, he would also need about seven days to reply.

    Justice Omotosho consequently adjourned the matter until Feb. 27 to hear the defendants’ no-case submission.

    Meanwhile, Ndifon and Anyanwu were yet to perfect their bail described as being too stringent.

    Justice Omotosho had, on Feb. 9, admitted Ndifon to a N250 million bail with two sureties.

    The judge held that the two sureties, who must be owners of landed property in the FCT with registered titles and minimum valuation of N150 million, must submit their certified bank statements to the registrar of the court.

    He also directed Ndifon to submit his international passport to the court registrar.

    The judge ordered the suspended dean to sign an undertaking not to interfere with the case, be ready to stand his trial and not to delay the trial.

    Also ruling on Anyanwu’s bail plea, Justice Omotosho, who granted him a N50 million bail with two sureties, held that one of the sureties must have a property in FCT, but not with a registered title.

    The judge directed the sureties to file their bank statements and ordered Anyanwu to equally signed an undertaking not to interfere with the trial, to be ready to stand his trial and not delay the trial.

    Justice Omotosho also ordered an accelerated hearing of the matter.

  • BREAKING: Court grants suspended UNICAL professor bail

    BREAKING: Court grants suspended UNICAL professor bail

    A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof. Cyril Ndifon.

    His lawyer, Sunny Anyanwu, who was arraigned with him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, was also granted bail.

    The professor and his lawyer are currently standing trial on amended four counts of alleged sexual harassment and an attempt to perverse the cause of justice.

    While Ndifon was granted bail in the sum of N250m with two sureties, Anyanwu was granted N50m bail with two sureties as well.

    Ruling on their bail application on Friday, the trial judge, Justice James Omotoso, said, “Bail is granted to the first defendants in the sum of N250m with two sureties who own properties within FCT with a minimum valuation of N150m.

    “The first defendant and his two sureties must submit their bank statements.

    “The first defendants must submit his International passport to the court.

    “The second defendant is granted bail in the sum of N50m with two sureties who will submit their bank statements.

    “The defendants must file an undertaking not to interfere with the case, readiness to attend trial and not to cause delay.”

    Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter till Monday for continuation of hearing.

    Detail to follow…

  • Witness admits not including alleged “oral s3x” experience, others in her statements against UNICAL professor

    Witness admits not including alleged “oral s3x” experience, others in her statements against UNICAL professor

    TKJ (not real name), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)’s star witness, on Wednesday, admitted she did not include in her two statements to the commission the allegations that Prof. Cyril Ndifon forced her to give him “a blow job” in his car because she was ashamed about the incident.

    TKJ, who is the ICPC’s 2nd prosecution witness (PW2), stated this while being cross-examined by Ndifon’s counsel, Joe Agi, SAN, before Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court, Abuja.

    The ICPC’s investigation, TKJ, one of the alleged victims of allegation of sexual harassment against Ndifon, the suspended Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), wrote two extra-judicial statements dated Nov  9, 2023 and Nov. 10, 2023 at the Calabar office of the anti-corruption commission.

    Blow job, according to a dictionary meaning, is an act of oral sex performed on a man.

    NAN had, on Tuesday, reported that the witness, while giving her evidence-in-chief, alleged that the suspended dean came to the front of her hostel in a tinted glass car and asked her to join him.

    She alleged that while having a discussion with him, he tried to put his hand inside her trousers but she stopped him from doing that.

    She further alleged that Ndifon later brought out his manhood and forcefully put it in her mouth.to suck.

    Ndifon was, on Jan. 25, re-arraigned alongside Sunny Anyanwu as 1st and 2nd 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 Jan. 22 by the ICPC on allegation that he called TKJ on her mobile telephone during the pendency of the charge against Ndifon to threatened her.

    However, during cross-examination on Wednesday, Agi asked TKJ: “You told this court that the 1st defendant forced you to do a blow job?”

    “Yes, in his car. He bent my neck and gave me N3000 after for treatment,” she responded.

    “I put it to you that, that is not true,” the lawyer said, but TKJ insisted it was true.

    Agi also put the question to TKJ that the allegation that Ndifon tried to make her do blow job with him in his office was also untrue but she said it was true.

    The senior lawyer then asked her if she made statements to ICPC on those two occasions and she answered in affirmative.

    “In those two different days, you never told ICPC in your statements that the 1st defendant did blow job with you; you just manufactured that later?” he asked.

    Responding, TKJ said: “I did not tell them in my statements because I was ashamed about it.”

    She had also told the court that when Ndifon forcefully bent her neck to give him a blow job, she cried and went and told her roommates in the hostel.

    But when the lawyer asked her if she put the experience about informing her roommates in the statements, the witness admitted she did not.

    She equally admitted that she did not put it in her statement that Ndifon gave her N3000 for treatment after the blow job experience.

    TKJ said she only gave summary of what transpired between Ndifon and her, besides feeling ashamed of the whole scenario.

    When Agi asked her how many people were with her when she was making the statements, the PW2 said about three people.

    Reacting, the lawyer said it couldn’t have been shame that made her not to write details of her experience since there were more people in the courtroom than where she wrote the statements, “that you just don’t want to tell the true.”

    But TKJ, who insisted it was shame, broke into tears behind the shield.

    Agi further asked her if she wrote in her statements the allegation that  Ndifon made her to do a nude video of herself putting her two fingers in her vargina inside toilet and sent to him.

    “I did not tell the ICPC about the nude video I did inside the toilet where I put my two fingers in my vargina because I only did a summary of it in my statement,” she said.

    The witness said she did all the chats and others with Ndifon because of the admission he promised her and because of her safety after the sexual harassment.

    She disagreed with the lawyer that the anti-corruption commission guided her on what to write.

    “The ICPC Did not guide me on what to write,” she said.

    Taking TKJ on one of the exhibits which captured some of the WhatsApp chats with Ndifon, the lawyer asked that those communications which were between her and the embattled professor were supposed to be a secret between them, but the witness said she did not willingly do it

    “Did he put a gun on your head?” he asked, but she said Ndifon did not put a gun on her head.

    “Would you have been happy if 1st defendant had sent those messages and videos to people? Agi asked again.

    “I will not be happy if he had shared it with people because I was not happy sending them,” she responded.

    Earlier while being led in evidence by ICPC’s lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, TKJ said she received a strange call from Mr Sunny Anyanwu, one of Ndifon’s lawyers, after the suspended don was granted bail.

    “A strange number called me and when I picked, the person called me by my native name.

    “He told me his name was Barrister Sunny. And he said that Prof told him that I am from Enugu State.

    “I told him I am not from Enugu State. He asked me where I am from and ai told him.

    “I asked him why he called he said he called because of Professor Cyril, his friend.

    “He said he is from Enugu State. He also said he blamed his friend for everything that had happened. He said they have been friends for long

    “I told him that I have been traumatised a lot he said he knew” she said.

    The witness told the court that Anyanwu told her on phone not to honour ICPC’s invitation or write anything if they asked her to.

    “He said if I do what he asked me to do, he would give me a better admission outside University of Calabar,” she added

    She said she had neither met nor seen Anyanwu before.

    Meanwhile, Justice Omotosho had adjourned until Feb  9 to rule on the bail applications of Ndifon and Anyanwu.

    The judge, who adjourned the matter after counsel for the defence and prosecution adopted their processes and presented their arguments for and against the bail plea, hinted that he was inclined to grant bail to the duo.

    He said since bail was a constitutional right and the offences for which they were being charged were bailable ones, the defendants might likely be admitted to bail since the star witness who was alleged to have been threatened on phone had concluded her testimony.