A Kano State High Court, presided over by Justice Musa Dahuru Muhammad, has sentenced a football coach, Hayatu Muhammad, to eight years in prison without the option of a fine for sexually assaulting his underage player.
The convict, a resident of the Sanka area in Kano metropolis, was found guilty of committing the crime on two separate occasions and at different locations.
Hayatu Muhammad initially pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, the prosecution, led by Barrister Ibrahim Arif Garba of the Kano State Ministry of Justice, presented five witnesses whose testimonies established the case beyond reasonable doubt.
In his defense, the convict served as the sole witness but failed to disprove the allegations.
After reviewing the evidence and witness accounts, Justice Dahuru held that the prosecution had successfully proved the case against the defendant, finding him guilty of violating Section 284 of the Penal Code Law.
Consequently, the judge sentenced him to four years’ imprisonment on each of the two counts, with both sentences to run concurrently, starting from the date of the judgment.
