High Court in Kano State, presided over by Judge Musa Dahuru Muhammad, has sentenced a football team coach named Hayatu Muhammad to eight years in prison without the option of a fine, for committing sodomy on his minor player. The convict, a resident of Sanka quarter in Kano city, was found guilty of committing the offense twice in different locations.
From the outset, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge. However, to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt, the Kano State government prosecutor, Barrister Ibrahim Arif Garba, called five witnesses who testified before the court.
On the other hand, the defendant was the sole witness in his own defense. The offense contravenes Section 284 of the Penal Code.
After Judge Dahuru reviewed the witness testimonies and evidence presented in court, he affirmed that the defendant committed the offense as charged. He then sentenced him to four years on each of the two counts, ordering that the sentences run concurrently from the date of the judgment.