NBA to probe Prof Ndifon of Unical over sexual allegations by law students

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said it has resolved to investigate the allegations of sexual assault against the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Prof. Cyril Ndifon.

The legal body, in a statement it made available to newsmen on Saturday, said its National Executive Committee (NEC) reached the decision to probe allegations of professional misconduct against Prof. Ndifon, at its recent monthly meeting that was presided over by the NBA President, Mr Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, SAN.

The NBA, which is the umbrella body of legal practitioners in the country, stressed that all its National Officers attended the meeting and agreed that issues that were raised against the law don, deserved to be looked into.

It will be recalled that some female law students of the university had during a protest they staged in the school recently, alleged that Prof. Ndifon sexually molested them.

Reacting to the development, the NBA, in the statement that was signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Akorede Lawal, said it has empanelled an ad-hoc committee to investigate the allegations.

The association said it has equally demanded more detail on alleged attempt to bribe a judge that is currently handling petitions that arose from the last National Assembly and State House Assembly elections in Kano State.

More so, aside from dragging the suspended State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Adamawa State, Mr. Hudu Yunusa-Ari, before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, the NBA, said it equally demanded the probe of one Miss Ifunanya Excel Grant, a young lawyer of its Aba Branch that smokes marijuana and is wildly known as “the baddest lawyer” on social media.

The statement, read: “The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has resolved to investigate the allegations of sexual assault against the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Prof. Cyril Ndifon.

“This decision was reached by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NBA at her recent monthly meeting presided over by the NBA President, Mr Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, OON SAN and which had all National Officers of the association in attendance.

“The NBA NEC subsequently empanelled an ad-hoc committee comprising the 1st Vice President of the NBA, Mrs Linda Rose Bala, the Assistant General Secretary of the NBA, Mr Daniel Kip, Chairperson of NBA Women’s Forum and the Chairman of the NBA Calabar Branch, to investigate the allegations against the University Don.

“You may also be aware of the recent media report of the attempted bribe of Justice Flora Azinge of the National Assembly and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kano.

“The NBA has, by a letter dated 16th August 2023, formally requested his lordship to avail the NBA of further details in this regard to enable investigation into this allegation.

“In a similar vein, the National Officers also deliberated at their earlier monthly meeting over the unbecoming conduct of some members of the legal profession. Following the resolutions of the National Officers, the NBA has filed petitions at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) against Mr Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the suspended Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Ifunanya Excel Grant, a young lawyer of Aba Branch wildly known as ‘the baddest lawyer’ on social media.

“Mr Yunusa-Ari was petitioned over his role in illegally declaring the result of the supplementary 2023 gubernatorial election in Adamawa State while votes were still being counted. While the complaints against Miss Ifunanya centred on her social media notoriety of posting pictures and videos of herself unclad and smoking marijuana.

“While it is important to underscore the fact that none of the lawyers petitioned or being investigated is deemed guilty of professional misconduct until the LPDC hands down its decisions after fair trial, the NBA President has emphasised the need for lawyers to continue to be of best conduct wherever they find themselves, and he reiterated that the present NBA leadership will not relent in ridding the profession of the very few bad eggs that may be found,” the statement added.