The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Dr. Fatima Waziri-Azi, has commended the judiciary for what she described as a “landmark judgment” that resulted in the conviction and life imprisonment sentence of Dr. Abubakar Danraka for sodomy under Section 1 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act of 2015.
The conviction occurred in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Kubwa, Abuja, presided over by Justice A. Akanbi-Yusuf. Dr. Abubakar Danraka, a former Chief Pharmacist of the National Hospital, Abuja, and Senior Special Adviser (Technical) to the Director of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, was found guilty.
Danraka was arrested on March 27, 2020, for sexually assaulting his neighbor, a minor who lived in the same estate in Abuja.
The statement revealed that 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 vide a Charge dated August 9, 2021, and was arraigned on April 5, 2022, where he pleaded “not guilty”.
However, “The Prosecution team from NAPTIP sufficiently proved the charge beyond a reasonable doubt which led to the September 18 2023 judgment,” the statement read in part.
Adekoye said Monday’s ruling ends three-year controversies surrounding the high-stakes case.
Reacting to the judgment, NAPTIP’s Director-General Waziri-Azi hailed the judiciary for its doggedness in ensuring that justice is served under the VAPP Act.
She said, “I want to 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.”
Danraka’s case is the third rape conviction secured by NAPTIP in the FCT in 2023.
