A Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), high court sitting in Kubwa, Abuja, has sentenced the former Chief Pharmacist of the National Hospital, Abuja, Dr. Abubakar Mustapha Danraka for the rape, (sodomy) of a minor.

Justice Akanbi-Yusuf, on Monday 18th September 2023, convicted and sentenced Dr. Danraka to life imprisonment after finding him guilty under Section 1 of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition, (VAPP), Act of 2015.

A communique from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons, (NAPTIP), signed by the Press Officer, described the ruling as historic and a landmark judgment in the implementation of the VAPP Act.

“The convict, Abubakar Mustapha Danraka was a former Chief Pharmacist of National Hospital, Abuja, and Senior Special Adviser (Technical) to the Director of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development.

“The ruling ends the three-year-old controversies surrounding this celebrated case which had attracted much attention from stakeholders across the Country.

“He was arrested on March 27th, 2020, for defiling a minor (name withheld) his neighbour, who lived in the same estate with him in Abuja.

“He lured the victim to his apartment and had anal intercourse with him after stupefying him with a drink.

“The suspect was charged to court on 9th August 2021, and was arraigned on 5th April. 2022 where he pleaded “not guilty”.

“The Prosecution team from NAPTIP sufficiently proved the charge beyond reasonable doubt which led to the September 18 2023 judgment,” the statement contains.

Reacting to the judgment, Director General of NAPTIP, Professor Fatima Waziri-Azi, hailed the judiciary for its doggedness in ensuring that justice is served under the VAPP Act.

She said, “I want to specially commend the Judiciary for its sustained collaboration, and support in the implementation of the VAPP/Law in the country which has culminated in this landmark judgment, this is a victory for us as a country.

“In our bid to make Nigeria a violence–free nation, in collaboration with all our esteemed partners and stakeholders, we will continue to scale our efforts in ensuring more convictions and less impunity” the NAPTIP,” she was quoted saying.

The sentence is the third rape conviction secured by NAPTIP in the FCT for the year 2023.
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