Prof. SinemAbasi Ekong, University of Uyo Professor, Details Daughter’s Alleged Assault by University of Calabar’s Prof. Cyril Ndifon In a widely circulated video on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), female students, attired in traditional white and black garments, stage a protest at the University of Calabar. Prof. SinemAbasi Ekong, a faculty member at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom, has shared a distressing account of her daughter’s alleged assault by Prof. Cyril Ndifon, the embattled Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar in Cross River State. According to Prof. Ekong, her daughter, a 20-year-old student, claims that Ndifon raped her twice in his office.
SaharaReporters reported that female students from the University of Calabar’s law faculty demanded the removal of Ndifon due to alleged sexual harassment. This protest was captured in a viral video on X, where female students, dressed in traditional white and black attire, displayed placards bearing messages such as “We are tired of sucking big ****,” “Professor Ndifon, let the girls with big breasts breathe. Stop suffocating us,” and “Enough of law school list manipulation.” Concerns were raised by the Sacredhearts Gender Protective Initiative, a civil society organization, regarding the reappointment and promotion of Ndifon despite a prior accusation of raping a female student in his office in December 2022. Prof. Ekong recounted the alleged incident as reported by SaharaReporters: On August 29, Prof. Ekong received an unexpected call from the Airport Police Station in Calabar, informing her that her daughter was giving a statement. Shocked, as her daughter had never encountered the police, Prof. Ekong arranged for her in-law in Calabar to meet her at the station. A medical examination was conducted, and her daughter shared the traumatic experience of being assaulted by Prof. Ndifon in his office.
According to Prof. Ekong’s daughter, on that fateful day, Ndifon disrupted an ongoing test 20 minutes before its end, tore her script, and then manipulated her into following him to his office to recopy her answers on a new sheet. He eventually led her to his private office on the second floor, where he allegedly assaulted her. Despite her resistance, Ndifon reportedly attempted to force her to drink alcohol and sexually assaulted her. Prof. Ekong’s daughter managed to escape only after he left to fetch a bottle of stout. The traumatic event left her physically and emotionally shaken. Prof. Ekong shared her pain and frustration, questioning why a respected educator would commit such an act against her brilliant daughter. She expressed her determination to seek justice and hold Ndifon accountable, in the hope that her daughter’s experience will prevent such incidents from recurring. As the case unfolds, Prof. Ekong stands firm in her pursuit of justice and accountability. The University of Calabar’s response and actions are anticipated by both the affected family and concerned members of the community.
By sharing her daughter’s traumatic experience, Prof. SinemAbasi Ekong hopes to shed light on the issue of sexual assault within educational institutions, ensuring that her daughter’s story will lead to change and awareness surrounding this critical issue.