The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is set to investigate suspended University of Calabar Law teacher, Prof. Cyril Ndifon over sexual harassment claims by the students and multiple women who graduated from the university.

The probe comes against the backdrop of a protest by students of the UNICAL Faculty of Law against the embattled Law teacher who doubles as the Dean of the faculty.

According to a statement made available to CITY LAWYER, “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 ad-hoc committee comprises NBA 1st Vice President, Mrs. Linda Rose Bala; NBA Assistant General Secretary, Mr. Daniel Kip; Chairperson of NBA Women’s Forum, and the Chairman of NBA Calabar Branch.

Meanwhile, the lawyers’ association has also resolved to investigate allegations of bribery by the Chairman of the Kano State National Assembly and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Flora Azinge.

The NBA has also dragged Mr. Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the suspended Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner for Adamawa State and Miss Ifunanya Excel Grant, a young lawyer of Aba Branch widely known as “the baddest lawyer” on social media, to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC).

Below is the statement.

PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT: NBA TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AGAINST PROF CYRIL NDIFON OF UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR AND ATTEMPTED BRIBE OF ELECTION PETITION JUDGE; PETITIONED LPDC OVER CONDUCT OF SUSPENDED ADAMAWA INEC REC AND MISS IFUNANYA EXCEL GRANT ALIAS “THE BADDEST LAWYER”

Distinguished Colleagues,

In the wake of recent events that border on allegations of professional misconduct against some members of the legal profession, we find it pertinent to bring you up to speed with some steps that have been taken by the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

The 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 latter 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.

Thank you, and do have a great weekend.

Akorede Habeeb Lawal
National Publicity Secretary, NBA

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