Court Dismisses No-Case Submission by Suspended UNICAL Professor and Lawyer
The duo had filed the no-case submission after the ICPC concluded its case, arguing that there was insufficient evidence to convict them. However, the court disagreed, stating that the evidence presented warranted further examination.
AKACHI NOEL 
A Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja has dismissed the no-case submission filed by Prof. Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), and his lawyer, Mr. Sunny Anyanwu, against the charges brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Justice James Omotosho ruled that the evidence presented by the prosecution established a prima facie case against Ndifon and Anyanwu, thus ordering them to enter their defense.
The duo had filed the no-case submission after the ICPC concluded its case, arguing that there was insufficient evidence to convict them. However, the court disagreed, stating that the evidence presented warranted further examination.
The charges against Ndifon and Anyanwu include alleged sexual harassment and attempt to pervert the course of justice. The prosecution presented evidence suggesting that Ndifon solicited nude photos from a female diploma student in exchange for admission into the Faculty of Law. Additionally, it was alleged that Anyanwu, acting as Ndifon's counsel, attempted to prevent the student from cooperating with the ICPC investigation.
The court found that the evidence presented by the prosecution established a prima facie case against the defendants, requiring them to provide explanations for their actions.
Justice Omotosho also addressed jurisdictional issues raised by the defense, ruling that the Federal High Court had the requisite jurisdiction to hear the case. He emphasized the importance of allowing the defendants to exhaust their options for defense and clarified that their presumption of innocence remains until proven guilty.
The matter has been adjourned until March 12 for the defendants to enter their defense.
