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 Hayatu without the option of a fine.
According to the prosecution, the coach, who lives in Sanka area of Kano metropolis, committed the offence twice in different locations. He initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.
To prove the case beyond reasonable doubt, the state counsel, Barrister Ibrahim Arif Garba, presented five witnesses who testified against the defendant.
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In his defense, Hayatu took the witness stand alone.
The prosecution stated that his action violated Section 284 of the Penal Code Law, which criminalises sodomy.
After reviewing all the evidence and witness statements, Justice Dahuru ruled that the prosecution had successfully proved the case.
He sentenced Hayatu to four years in prison on each of the two counts, to run concurrently — meaning he will serve a total of eight years starting from the day of the judgment.
