Dr. Abubakar Mustapha Danraka, formerly the Chief Pharmacist of the National Hospital Abuja and Senior Special Adviser (Technical) to the Director of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on charges of sodomy.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) made this announcement through its spokesperson, Vincent Adekoye, in a statement on Tuesday. According to the statement, the conviction was handed down by Justice Asmau Akanbi-Yusuf at the High Court in Kubwa. Dr. Danraka was found guilty of rape (sodomy) under Section 1 of the VAPP Act of 2015.

The case had been a subject of controversy for three years and had garnered significant attention from stakeholders across the nation. Dr. Danraka was arrested on March 27, 2020, for sexually assaulting a minor who was his neighbor in the same Abuja estate. He had lured the victim to his apartment, where he drugged the minor and engaged in sexual acts with him.

Dr. Danraka was charged in court on August 9, 2021, and arraigned on April 5, 2022, where he pleaded not guilty. However, the prosecution team from NAPTIP successfully presented evidence that led to the judgment on September 18, 2023.

In response to the verdict, the Director General of NAPTIP, Fatima Waziri Azi, praised the judiciary for their collaboration and support in upholding justice under the VAPP Act. She emphasized the importance of eliminating violence in Nigeria and pledged to continue working with partners and stakeholders to secure more convictions and reduce impunity.