A Kano State High Court sitting in Kano has convicted and sentenced a football coach, Hayatu Muhammad, to eight years imprisonment without the option of a fine for sodomising one of his underage players.

The judgement, delivered by Justice Musa Dahuri Muhammad of the Kano State High Court on Miller Road, found the coach guilty on two counts of sexually assaulting the minor at different locations in the state.

According to the state prosecutor, Barrister Ibrahim Arif Garba, the convict, a resident of Sanka area in Kano, was charged after investigations confirmed the assaults. The prosecution presented two witnesses whose testimonies convinced the court of the coach's culpability.

During the trial, the accused denied the allegations. However, the court held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Justice Dahiru ruled that the offence violated Section 284 of the Penal Code, which prohibits unnatural sexual acts, and consequently sentenced Hayatu Muhammad to four years imprisonment on each of the two counts, to run concurrently, starting from the date of his arrest.