Publication

In a society supposedly with a low tolerance for any form of sexual assault or harassment, it comes as shocking news when a dean of law at the prestigious University of Calabar has been accused of sexual assault by his very own students of the faculty of law.

The learned Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Cyril Ndifon was accused of allegedly sexually assaulting his students. It was reported that the incident was not isolated as a one-time act but has become a norm in the faculty due to a previous accusation in 2015. These allegations were brought to light when the female students of the faculty had a peaceful protest while displaying placards saying “No to Sexual Assault” amongst other things, according to vanguardngr.com.

Vanguard, a reputed newspaper, received a letter written by an affected victim’s family member named Prof. Sinem-Abasi Ekong of the University of Uyo, who narrated how her daughter was allegedly molested by the legal luminary at the school years ago. This incident has led to the relief and suspension of Ndifon’s duties as the dean of the faculty pending the investigation of the alleged sexual assault.

Nigeria has a very strict legal framework on all forms of sexual assault and abuse and has provided different laws to tackle any form of sexual assault. These are all contained in the Criminal Code, Penal Code, the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015. The Grundnorm, which is the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, frowns against sexual harassment and sees it as gender-based discrimination and an abuse of the right to dignity of a person as enshrined in Section 34.    

In a society that frowns on all forms of sexual assault and has been very strict in the punishment of its offenders, Ndifon’s suspension is seen more as a cover-up. The students' plights must be investigated criminally and not administratively only, and all sectors in the state should stand up to protect the students' dignity by making sure to investigate and prosecute such offenders appropriately.

This should not be a saga that should be swept under the rug in the guise of being an investigation.