The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has successfully obtained a life imprisonment sentence against Dr. Abubakar Mustapha Danraka, a former public officer, for committing sodomy. This landmark verdict was delivered by the High Court in Abuja.
According to a statement released by Vincent Adekoye, the agency’s spokesperson, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, located in Kubwa, Abuja, and presided over by Justice Asmau Akanbi-Yusuf, convicted Danraka to a life sentence for rape (sodomy) under Section 1 of the VAPP Act of 2015.
Adekoye disclosed that Abubakar Mustapha Danraka had previously held the position of Chief Pharmacist at National Hospital, Abuja, and had also served as a Senior Special Adviser (Technical) to the Director of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development.
The ruling brought an end to a three-year-old controversy that had garnered significant attention from stakeholders nationwide. The convict, Abubakar Mustapha Danraka, was arrested on March 27th, 2020, on charges of sexually assaulting a minor (whose name is being withheld) residing in the same housing estate as him in Abuja. He had enticed the victim to his apartment and engaged in non-consensual sexual activity after incapacitating him with a drink.
Danraka was officially charged in court on August 9, 2021, and was subsequently arraigned on April 5, 2022, where he pleaded “not guilty.” The prosecution team from NAPTIP effectively substantiated the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, leading to the verdict handed down on September 18, 2023.
In response to the judgment, Professor Fatima Waziri-Azi, the Director-General of NAPTIP, commended the judiciary for its unwavering commitment to ensuring justice is served under the VAPP Act. She stated, “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 efforts to make Nigeria a violence-free nation, in collaboration with all our esteemed partners and stakeholders, we will continue to intensify our efforts to secure more convictions and reduce impunity.”
This marks the third rape conviction secured by NAPTIP in the Federal Capital Territory for the year 2023.
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