NAPTIP Hails Judiciary As Pharmacist Bags Life Sentence For Sodomy

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Kubwa, Abuja and presided over by Hon. Justice A. Akanbi-Yusuf, has  convicted and sentenced a public officer, Dr. Abubakar Mustapha Danraka to life imprisonment for rape (Sodomy) under Section 1 of the VAPP Act of 2015.

The convict, 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.

Describing the ruling as historic and landmark judgment in the implementation of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, NAPTIP in a statement on Tuesday, said the ruling ends the three-year-old controversies surrounding this celebrated case which had attracted much attention from stakeholders across the country.

According to the statement, the convict 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 statement explained.

Reacting to the judgment, the 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 director general stated.

“This is the third rape conviction and counting secured by NAPTIP in the FCT for the year 2023,” she added.