A Kano State High Court has sentenced a football coach, Hayatu Muhammad, to eight years in prison for sodomising one of his underage players.
The presiding judge, Justice Musa Dahuru Muhammad, delivered the judgment on Wednesday, sentencing the convict without the option of a fine.
According to the prosecution, Hayatu, who resides in the Sanka area of Kano metropolis, committed the offence twice at different locations. He had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The state counsel, Barrister Ibrahim Arif Garba, presented five witnesses who testified against the defendant, establishing the case beyond reasonable doubt.
In his defence, the coach testified alone.
The prosecution noted that his actions contravened Section 284 of the Penal Code Law, which criminalises sodomy.
After reviewing the evidence and testimonies, Justice Dahuru ruled that the prosecution had proved its case conclusively.
He subsequently sentenced the coach to four years’ imprisonment on each of the two counts, to run concurrently, meaning he will serve a total of eight years beginning from the date of judgment.
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