Court of Appeal upholds two-year jail term for ex-Unical law dean Ndifon

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has upheld the two-year imprisonment of Professor Cyril Osim Ndifon, former Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, for soliciting pornographic, indecent and obscene photographs from a female student.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday, September 25, 2026.

According to the Commission, the appellate court delivered its judgment on September 18, 2026, in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CR/1798/2025, affirming the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Count One of the charge.

Ndifon was convicted under Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, following evidence presented by the ICPC concerning electronic communications between him and a female student.

The Federal High Court, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, had, on November 17, 2025, convicted the former Dean on Count One and sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment without an option of a fine.

The court also convicted him on Count Two and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment, with both sentences ordered to run concurrently.

Ndifon subsequently appealed the conviction and sentences, but the Court of Appeal affirmed the conviction and two-year custodial sentence on Count One.

The ICPC said the case arose from allegations concerning Ndifon’s conduct towards female students while he was Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar.

The Commission said its evidence at trial included electronic communications which supported the allegation that Ndifon solicited pornographic, indecent and obscene photographs from a student.

However, the Court of Appeal set aside the proceedings relating to Count Two, which alleged that Ndifon conferred an undue advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

The appellate court held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the offence under the ICPC Act and directed that Ndifon be prosecuted on the count before the High Court of Cross River State.

The ICPC said it was taking steps to challenge the decision on Count Two before the appropriate superior court.

The Commission stressed that the decision on Count Two did not affect the appellate court’s affirmation of Ndifon’s conviction on Count One.

It added that it would continue to prosecute cases involving alleged corruption, abuse of office and related offences, particularly where institutional authority is allegedly used to exploit people under an accused person’s influence.