The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi, on Tuesday, commended the judiciary for what she called a “landmark judgment” that led to the conviction and sentencing Dr Abubakar Danraka to life imprisonment for rape (Sodomy) under Section 1 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act of 2015.

On Monday, a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Kubwa, Abuja, and presided over by Justice A. Akanbi-Yusuf, convicted Danraka, 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.

NAPTIP’s Chief Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, disclosed this in a statement he signed on Tuesday titled ‘FCT High Court sentences public officer and pharmacist to life imprisonment for rape.’

Danraka was arrested on March 27, 2020, for defiling his neighbour, 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 ended three-year controversies surrounding the high-stake case.

Reacting to the judgment, NAPTIP’s DG 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.