Nigeria’s Women’s Affairs Minister Threatens Unical Student Over Cyril Ndifon’s Sexual Harassment Claims
Uju Kennedy, the Minister of Women Affairs, was caught on tape threatening to jail a female law student at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) who accused the now-suspended dean of the law faculty, Prof. Cyril Ndifon, of sexual harassment.
In August, a group of female students studying law at UNICAL, staged a protest on campus grounds after they claimed they were targets of sexual harassment by Ndifon. Following the protests, Document Women spoke to some of the students to get their accounts.
Document Women also logged a brief timeline of the outcome following his first indictment, spanning eight years. Ndifon was first indicted on 29 August 2015 for allegedly assaulting a student in his office while she was retaking a test. Ndifon was suspended after the protest and an investigation panel was formed to hear testimony from him and his alleged victims.
The women's affairs minister has reportedly agreed to help Ndifon intimidate the victims and stop the panel from doing its job rather than preparing and presenting his case, which SaharaReporters reported.
Accounts obtained by unnamed SaharaReporters sources state that Kennedy claimed that the victims had conspired with the school's vice chancellor and other interested parties to expel Ndifon unfairly.
As per a leaked audio recording, Kennedy can be heard telling an unnamed female law student who came forward with the sexual harassment claims. "
“The day I spoke with you, I recorded what we spoke and you told me the whole truth, and if your VC, because I contacted your VC, I don't know what her plans are, I don't want to quote anybody. I don't equally want to condemn or judge anybody," Kennedy is quoted as saying.
"But I want you to be very careful because this thing is going to bring fire. So, be very-very careful. If I were you, as you have already said to me nobody raped you, nobody did sexual harassment, keep off from this case because if she makes you go there, she is recording whatever you people are saying in that panel and if she records you and I bring my own, you got contradicted."
“And this man has gone to court, my ministry will join them and make sure you go to jail so that you will be an example to others."
"Save my number. When you have time to visit me, I will find a way to empower you people so that your lives will be easier for you but keep away from things that will…, I am a minister, I'm above her (the VC) by position, you know that."
"So, don't go and do anything that will put you into a very big trouble that will scandalize you in the whole world because this matter has gone far and beyond. I won't play what you people said to me except you people try to deny it. I have to conceal it as something you told me in confidence but I'm warning you to keep off from lying against anybody."
In light of the recent sexual harassment scandal, the minister revealed to CITY LAWYER that she has received at least ten death threats via phone. Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady, allegedly ordered a full probe into the allegations and assigned her Special Adviser on Women's Affairs to oversee the process, as the First Lady's spokesperson explained.
Kennedy now claims that she has been "scandalized" as a result of her efforts to investigate the situation thoroughly. Her desire to get to the bottom of the issue, she claimed, was being misunderstood.
She was quoted by CITY LAWYER as saying, “How can I want the man to go free if he has committed such hideous crime? I only want the truth to prevail, especially after hearing from the three girls that the VC sent me their numbers."
“I equally sent an official memo to acknowledge the extra one week the VC said they would (need to) round up the investigation and told her to please go on and send the report to me, Minister of Education and to the SA to First Lady on Women."
“I can never as a mother support evil on innocent children, and will take drastic action if the man is found guilty. Let the truth prevail and let justice be done to put an end to this menace.”