In a landmark ruling that has reverberated through Kano’s sports community, Justice Musa Dahuru Muhammad of the Kano State High Court delivered a stern verdict on Wednesday, condemning Hayatu Muhammad, esteemed coach of a leading local football outfit, to eight years behind bars, with no leniency in the form of a fine.
The Alarmee reports that the conviction stemmed from Hayatu’s heinous acts of sodomy against one of his young players, a vulnerable minor under his charge.
Court records painted a grim picture: the assaults occurred on two separate occasions, in distinct spots across the city, shattering the trust inherent in the mentor-athlete bond.
Hailing from the bustling Sanka neighborhood in Kano Metropolis, Hayatu faced unyielding scrutiny from the prosecution led by Barrister Ibrahim Arif Garba.
Garba marshaled a compelling case, bolstered by the harrowing accounts of five key witnesses, whose testimonies laid bare the defendant’s culpability.
The charges, a clear breach of Section 284 under the Penal Code Law, prompted Justice Dahuru to meticulously sift through the mountain of evidence and sworn statements.
Convinced beyond doubt of guilt on both counts, he imposed a four-year term for each violation, yet, in a nod to proportionality, decreed they would unfold side by side, commencing immediately upon the gavel’s fall.
