Rape: Court sentences public officer to life imprisonment

An Abuja High Court has sentenced a public officer, Dr. Abubakar Danraka, to life imprisonment for rape (sodomy) under section 1 of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, (VAPP ACT) of 2015.

Trial judge, Justice A. Akanbi-Yusuf handed the sentence, having found the convict guilty.

The convict, Abubakar, 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, was arrested on March 27, 2020, for defiling a minor.

Director-General of National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, Fatima Waziri-Azi, yesterday, hailed the judiciary for its doggedness in ensuring that justice was served.

Reacting to the judgment, 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.”