The University of Calabar, Cross River State, has suspended the Dean, Faculty of Law, Cyril Ndifon, over allegations of sexual harassment.
Female students of the law faculty recently held a peaceful rally against Mr. Ndifon, a professor, whom they accused of harassing them.
Mr. Ndifon denied the allegations. He told Premium Times that the protest was sponsored by lecturers in the faculty who did not like his style of leadership.
The University of Calabar, on Thursday, relieved Mr. Ndifon of his position as dean of the law faculty and also suspended him from the school via a letter from the university Registrar, Gabriel Egbe, according to a statement from the school’s public relations department.
The statement said the university vice chancellor, Florence Obi, was dissatisfied with Mr. Ndifon’s response to a query on the sexual harassment allegations.
“The matter is referred to a panel that will be set up to investigate the allegations leveled against him,” the statement said.
“You are to hand over all University property in your possession, including all official responsibilities presently handled by you, to the Sub-Dean of the Faculty before vacating office.
“You are to stay away from the University premises except while responding to an invitation from the panel investigating these allegations,” the registrar, Mr. Egbe, told Mr. Ndifon in the letter.
The vice chancellor, Mrs. Obi, had vowed that the school would investigate the allegations against the law professor, but she said those making the allegations would be expected to bring up evidence.
Mr. Ndifon was previously suspended by the school authority in 2015 after he was accused of raping a 20-year-old law student in his office, an allegation the professor challenged in court.
Reports from some quarters say his suspension was lifted about a year later, under unclear circumstances.
