Suspended UNICAL Dean Sues VC, Others for Character Defamation

In a recent development, the suspended Dean of the Law Faculty at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof. Cyril Ndifon, has taken legal action against the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi, and three others, alleging character defamation.

Prof. Ndifon’s lawsuit, which is currently before the National Industrial Court in Calabar, also names UNICAL’s Registrar and Prof. Dorathy Oluwagbemi-Jacob as defendants. The lawsuit stems from Prof. Ndifon’s dissatisfaction with what he perceives as a smear campaign against him, despite his claims of innocence.

The suspended Dean accuses the Vice Chancellor of collaborating with the President of the Law Students’ Association (UNICAL chapter), Mr. Obi Benedict Otu, and one Destiny Omokiti, who happens to be a niece of the VC, to orchestrate a protest against him with the aim of tarnishing his reputation.

Prof. Ndifon alleges that Mr. Otu openly admitted to concealing the true purpose of the protest from unsuspecting students, including freshmen, and subsequently issued a public apology. This admission gained attention on social media platforms.

Furthermore, Prof. Ndifon claims that his right to access UNICAL’s premises has been restricted at the Vice Chancellor’s order, severely prejudicing him. He also contends that his removal from the position of Dean of the Law Faculty occurred without the requisite vote during a faculty board meeting, which he believes violates the University of Calabar Act.

In response to the lawsuit, Mr. Effiong Eyo, the university’s Public Relations Officer, clarified that UNICAL had merely initiated an investigation into the allegations against Prof. Ndifon. He emphasized that no guilt had been established, and the institution was prepared to participate in the legal proceedings, should the matter proceed to court.