An Abuja Federal High Court on Wednesday ordered the release of Prof Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, UNICAL, on temporary bail to enable him undergo glaucoma surgery.
Justice James Omotosho gave the order following an application by Ndifon’s counsel, Okon Efut, SAN, which was not opposed by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, lawyer to Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.
Justice Omotosho, who said he had considered Ndifon’s oral bail application, admitted him to bail in the sum of N250 million with a surety who must swear to an affidavit of means and deposit his or her travel passport with the court registry.
The judge also ordered that the temporary bail would take effect from Jan. 10 to Jan. 25, when the formal bail application filed by Ndifon’s lawyer would be heard.
The matter was consequently adjourned until Jan. 25 and Jan. 26 for continuation of trial and hearing of the bail application
The embattled varsity don was earlier on Tuesday remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre.
During Ndifon’s arraignment on Tuesday, the ICPC lawyer alleged that one of the defence lawyers, Mr Sunny Anyanwu, threatened the Commission’s star witness on phone over the case.
Justice Omotosho consequently adjourned the matter until Wednesday to hear the bail application and the affidavit of facts which Anyanwu was directed to file to give him fair hearing.
Upon resumed hearing, Efut informed the court that he had filed a further and better affidavit to respond to ICPC’s counter affidavit to their bail application.