In a statement released on Thursday via their official X (formerly Twitter) account, the Department of State Services (DSS) clarified the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Cyril Ndifon, the former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), in connection with a sex scandal.
According to Peter Afunanya, DSS Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) sought their cooperation in the matter.
Afunanya’s statement shed light on the sequence of events that led to Ndifon’s arrest by ICPC operatives in Calabar, Cross River State, on October 4. It was revealed that the ICPC had repeatedly invited Ndifon for questioning but received no response from him. Consequently, a court order was obtained, authorising his arrest.
“The ICPC has sought the collaboration of the Department of State Services (DSS) on the University of Calabar (UNICAL) Sex Scandal matter involving Professor Cyril NDIFON, the erstwhile Dean of Faculty of Law of the Institution,” Afunanya said.
“The Commission had disclosed the refusal of NDIFON to honour its several invitations thus his eventual arrest in Calabar, Cross River State by its operatives on 4th October 2023 based on a Court Order,” he further explained.
In the spirit of interagency cooperation and responding to the ICPC’s request, the DSS provided support to ensure the successful execution of the operation. Afunanya emphasised that this cooperation aimed to provide clarity to the public regarding the latest developments in the ongoing investigation.
This clarification from the DSS follows initial reports that suggested Professor Ndifon had been abducted by armed individuals at his residence in the Akpabuyo local government area of Cross River state. However, the DSS’s statement sets the record straight, linking the arrest to the ICPC’s investigation into the UNICAL sex scandal and the professor’s failure to respond to multiple invitations.