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Sexual Harassment: Court remands suspended UNICAL prof in prison

Published

4 months ago

January 8, 2024

Professor Cyril Ndifon

Sexual Harassment: Court remands suspended UNICAL prof in prison

A Federal High Court on Monday ordered that the suspended Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Prof. Cyril Ndifon, charged with alleged sexual harassment be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.

Ndifon, who is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission before Justice James Omotosho, however, pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge.

The ICPC, though its counsel, Ebenezer Shogunle, had filed the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/511/23 on Oct. 30, 2023 against Ndifon.

In count one, the defendant was alleged to have, between June and September 2023, used his office and position to gratify himself by soliciting for nude photographs and videos from a year 2 diploma female student of the university through Whatsapp chats on his telephone number: 08037066222, contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

In count two, he was alleged to have corruptly requested nude photographs and videos from a 400level female student of the Faculty of Law with the plan of changing her project supervisor to himself in order to guarantee favourable grades for her and offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 8(1)(a) (il) of the agency’s Act.

In count three, he was alleged to have corruptly 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 contrary to and punishable under Section 18(d) of the Act.

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Count four accused him of causing a female student to send pornographic, indecent and obscene photographs of herself to him through WhatsApp chats on his telephone number: 08037066222 between May and September 2023, contrary to and punishable under Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition & Prevention) Act, 2015.

These Ndifon was alleged to have committed while being a public officer charged with responsibility for the certification of students as fit in learning and character as a prerequisite for the award of a Bachelor’s degree in Law and admission into the Nigeria Law School.

After the charge was read to him, the embattled lecturer pleaded not guilty to the counts.

Ndifon’s counsel, Okon Efut, SAN, took his bail application dated Jan. 2 and filed Jan. 3.

Efut prayed the court to admit his client to bail, particularly on health grounds.

Besides, he informed the court that there were four other grounds why Ndifon should be granted bail.

Speaking from the dock, Ndifon said: “My lord, I was supposed to have an eye surgery on Glaucoma.”

Efut told the court that it was on the basis of his health condition that the magistrate court in Calabar admitted him to bail on Oct. 27, 2023, after being in detention for about 22 days.

He said based on the medical report, the surgery was expected to be carried out on Jan. 11.
ICPC Lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, opposed the application for bail.

He said on receipt of the process, the commission filed a counter affidavit dated and filed Jan. 5.

The lawyer, who alleged that one of the counsel to Ndifon threatened the commission’s star witness on phone, said they were in possession of the call logs.

Akponimisingha argued that one of the cardinal reasons for granting bail was the assurance that a defendant would not interfere with the case.

He further alleged that the lawyer’s name was in the bail application filed by Efut and that he was also at the court sitting.

Justice Omotosho then asked the lawyer to come forward. “What is your name?” he asked.

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“Sunny Anyanwu is my name my lord,” he replied.

The judge then asked him if he would wish to respond to the allegation by filing an affidavit of facts and he responded in the affirmative.

Anyanwu, who admitted calling Tochi Kanu on the phone, said the person he called was different from the names of the four witnesses in the charge and proof of evidence.

“Tochi Kanu called me. When she called me, I was at the Federal High Court here and I said I would call you later through a message.

“It was many hours later I remembered somebody called me and put a call through.

“At that point, there was a network issue and I was saying hello, hello and the call was cut off. And that name they (ICPC) called was not in the proof of evidence. They have four witnesses,” he said.

When the judge asked him about his interest in the matter, he said Ndifon was his lecturer and that he came as counsel to defend him or support the defence.

Justice Omotosho then asked Akponimisingha the name of the person who was alleged to have been called.

“The name is Tochi Kanu Jane,” he said.

The judge therefore directed Anyanwu to file his affidavit of facts for the court to decide on the issue.

But Omotosho wondered why Ndifon had not gone for the surgery since Oct. 27, 2023, when the magistrate court granted him bail.

Akponimisingha told the court that the medical report was served on them late and they were still verifying its genuineness.

Justice Omotosho, who ordered Ndifon to be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre, adjourned the matter until Jan. 10 for a hearing of the bail application and to enable Anyanwu to file the affidavit of facts.

Sexual Harassment: Court remands suspended UNICAL prof in prison

Related Topics:prison sexual harassment UNICAL prof

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NDLEA declares couple wanted, houses sealed after cocaine seizure

Published

12 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Trends Admin

Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade and Rashidat Ayinke Owoalade

NDLEA declares couple wanted, houses sealed after cocaine seizure

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) has arrested four members of a drug cartel who runs a cocaine cartel from India in Lagos with a Sports Utility vehicle and two houses belonging to the syndicate, already traced to them sealed for forfeiture to the Federal Government.

This is just as a couple, Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade (alias Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun) and Rashidat Ayinke Owoalade (alias Bolarinwa Rashidat Ayinke), also members of the cartel have been declared wanted by NDLEA in connection with cocaine trade.

Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi who made this known, said “Two other members of the syndicate, Imran Taofeek Olalekan and Ishola Isiaka Olalekan were arrested on April 3, 2024 following their bid to export 3.40kg cocaine on a Qatar Airlines flight going to Oman through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos.

“While Imran was the courier conveying the drug consignment to Oman, Ishola recruited him for the head of the cartel, which investigation has now revealed to be Alhaji Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade whose Indian residence permit bears Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun based in India.

“Efforts to dismantle his network in Nigeria paid off after five weeks of surveillance and follow up operations when another member of the syndicate, Hamed Abimbola Saheed who works directly with the baron was arrested on Tuesday 14th May at Abule Egba area of Lagos.

“It was indeed Saheed who lodged Imran in a hotel a day before his aborted trip to Oman and equally dropped him and Ishola at the Lagos airport the day they were arrested.

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“During a search of Hamed house, NDLEA operatives recovered some phenacetine, a cutting agent for Cocaine, weighing 900 grams.

“He confessed that the recovered substance was what was left of the consignment Imran was taking to Oman the day he was arrested.

“His arrest led to a follow up operation at the home of the Owoalade couple at 20 Eyiaro street, Ogudu Orioke, Lagos where another suspect was arrested and a new model Toyota RAV4 SUV marked FKJ-773 JJ belonging to Rashidat and additional 400 grams of Cocaine recovered in addition to already prepared suitcases to be used for illicit drug concealment, digital weighing scales and other paraphernalia”.

In the same vein, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations, DOGI, attached to a courier firm in Lagos on Wednesday 15th May intercepted two parcels, containing Cocaine and Amphetamine concealed in steel bolts and shea butter.

While the cocaine weighing 587 grams, was concealed in eight steel bolt screws going to China, the Amphetamine consignment packed in vape pens and hidden in shea butter was going to the United Kingdom.

Attempts by Emeka Nwadiaro (aka Mega) to export 3.6kg Loud, a strain of cannabis concealed in 36 water flasks to Dubai, UAE was also thwarted at a logistic company in Port Harcourt, Rivers state on Thursday 16th May while a swift follow up operation led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Emeka Nwadiaro in Onitsha, Anambra state same day.

While NDLEA operatives in Lagos intercepted a mercedes benz bus loaded with 840kg cannabis and arrested the driver, Samuel Henry, at Olojo in Ojo LGA, Lagos, another suspect, Lawal Adam was nabbed along Otukpo road, Aliade, Benue state on Friday 17th May with 75,000 pills of opioids including tramadol and exol-5.

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Two suspects: Olisa Etisi, 32, and Jonathan Umeh, 25, were arrested along Owerri – Onitsha road, Imo state following the discovery by NDLEA operatives of a big gas cyclinder used to conceal six blocks of Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 3.85kg.

In Borno state, 70-year-old Adamu Mohammed was arrested at Mbulamel, Biu LGA on Thursday 16th May with 2kg cannabis and 33.55grams of diazepam, while Gaddafi Sani, 27, was arrested with 30 kilograms of cannabis along Abuja-Kaduna road, Kaduna.

In Yobe state, a consignment of 91.1kg opioids and 13kg cannabis going to Maiduguri, Borno state, was recovered from hidden compartments of a petrol tanker along Potiskum-Damaturu road by NDLEA officers who arrested the driver, Ismaila Ali.

No less than four suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 2,025 pieces of improvised explosive devices (IED) materials intercepted in a Toyota hummer bus marked AGL 905 XX by NDLEA officers along Agaie – Lapai road, Niger state.

The duo of Abdulrauf Shitu Adeyemi, 46, and Asmiyu Rahim, 45, conyeying the IED materials were arrested on the spot. Follow up operations led to the arrest of Husaini Abdullahi, 25, at Sokoto main market, Sokoto and Nazifi Abdullahi, 37, at Naibawa Motor Park, Kano on Friday 17th May.

The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has directed that all four suspects and the explosive materials be transferred to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.

In another operation, Muhammad Lawal, 42, was nabbed at Central Market Motor Park, Katsina State with 1,000 Ampoules of Pentazocine injection.

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Also, a total of 105kg cannabis was on Friday 17th May recovered from a house at Obola community, Owan West LGA, Edo state and a suspect, Gloria Oris arrested when NDLEA officers raided the area.

In Kwara state, two suspects: Abdulganiyu Karaman, 55, and Sunday Abel, 37, were on Saturday 18th May arrested with 83kg cannabis and tramadol at Boriya, Baruten LGA, and Offa respectively.

With the same vigour, the various commands of the Agency across the country continued with the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaign in the past week.

Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture for students and teachers of Government Girls Science secondary school, Malumfashi and Government Girls Science Secondary School, Daudawa, Katsina; Government Girls Science College, Tunga Magajiya Rijau LGA, Niger state.

Others are students and teachers of St. Theresa’s College Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo state; students of Government Girls Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Kano; students of Dein secondary school, Imobi secondary school and St. Columbas Grammar School, Agbor, Delta State.

While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Rivers, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Borno, Niger, Benue, Kwara, Imo, and Edo Commands of the Agency as well as those of DOGI for their outstanding feats in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) said the efforts have further affirmed the cardinal role of NDLEA in the security architecture of the country.

He equally applauded their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures to create a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.

NDLEA declares couple wanted, houses sealed after cocaine seizure

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Mother, 2 kids, motorbike rider crushed to death in Osun

Published

13 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Trends Admin

Osun accident

Mother, 2 kids, motorbike rider crushed to death in Osun

A devastating road accident occurred on Saturday around Obada Market in Ode-Omu town, Ayedaade Local Government Area of Osun State.

According to eyewitnesses, a private car with the registration number BDG 481 JD, traveling from Ibadan towards Osogbo, collided with a motorcycle carrying a mother, two children, and a toddler who were returning to Ogi village after attending a church vigil.

The accident resulted in the death of the mother, two children, and the motorcycle rider. The toddler, however, survived the accident.

In the aftermath of the accident, enraged residents of Ode-Omu descended on the occupants of the private car.

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The driver of the vehicle managed to flee the scene, leaving two passengers inside the car.

An eyewitness simply identified as Monsurat, described the incident as “brutal and unfortunate,” adding that the driver might not have seen the motorcycle, leading to the tragic collision.

She said the mob dragged out the two remaining occupants from the car and set them ablaze.

However, police officers promptly intervened, extinguished the fire and rescued the victims who were subsequently taken to the hospital for treatment.

The Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident.

Mother, 2 kids, motorbike rider crushed to death in Osun

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Tension in Akwa Ibom over abduction of monarch

Published

13 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Trends Admin

Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayilara

Tension in Akwa Ibom over abduction of monarch

A monarch, Ogwong Okon A. Abang, has been kidnapped in Akwa Ibom State by gunmen.

Abang, who is the paramount Ruler in Mbo Local Government Area (LGA), was kidnapped in his palace at Ebughu.

The monarch was said to have been kidnapped at about 9pm on Saturday.

The abduction of the Paramount Ruler of Mbo, has further raised concern over the deepening security crisis in Oron nation.

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Recall that Dr John Robbin Esu was also kidnapped in Oron local government area of the state.

He has remained in the kidnappers den nearly three weeks after his abduction, a situation that has forced doctors in the State to embark on strike.

Only last week, the wife of Chief Asukwo Eweme Ulap Okon, aka Levile, a prominent political figure was also abducted in Oron.

Akwa Ibom State Police Command was yet to offer a word on the monarch’s abduction, but Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayilara and other service Commanders were said to be on their way to Ebughu Palace of the victim.