The management of the University of Calabar, Cross River state, has suspended the dean of the faculty of law, Professor Cyril Ndifon, amid a flurry of sexual assault allegations levelled against him by female students, Peoples Gazette has learnt.

Unical, in a statement, on Thursday, said Mr Ndifon was suspended for allegedly violating the institution’s extant laws and policies without elaborating.

“The Management of the University of Calabar has suspended the Dean, Faculty of Law, Prof. Cyril Ndifon, for alleged violation of the provisions of the extant laws and policies of the institution,” reads the statement issued by the public relations unit of the institution.

The suspension, effective Thursday, August 17, came as a result of the dean’s unsatisfactory response to a query issued to him by the Vice-Chancellor on August 14, the school said.

“The Vice Chancellor has gone through your written representations and is not satisfied with your explanations,” the statement said. “She has therefore directed that you should be relieved of your position as Dean, Faculty of Law and placed on suspension while the matter is referred to a panel that will be set-up to investigate these allegations.”

A protest had erupted at the law faculty earlier this week when law students carried placards and demanded an end to sexual assaults they claimed to have suffered at the hands of Mr Ndifon. Majority of the female demonstrators said they were tired of “sucking dicks” and called for the dean’s dismissal.

The university asked Mr Ndifon to vacate the premises and hand over official property to the faculty sub-dean pending the conclusion of his investigation.

“You are to stay away from the University premises except while responding to invitation from the panel investigating these allegations.”