De General and co-accused, Caleb Williams, were asked to go and sin no more after they were found guilty of drug trafficking
By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
A social media Comedian Joshua Sunday, alias De General” was on Monday convicted by Justice Daniel Osiagor of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos for drug trafficking.
However, rather than sentencing him, the judge cautioned the convict and warned him against committing any further offence.
De General, a social media influencer, was charged to court by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), alongside one Caleb William over drug trafficking.
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Both defendants, 22, were arraigned on a three- counts charge of trafficking Tramadol and Cannabis Sativa.
After listening to the charge preferred against them, both of them pleaded guilty to the charge.
After their pleas, the prosecutor, Mr Jeremiah Aernan, reviewed the facts of the case and tendered evidence before the court, through an NDLEA exhibit keeper, Mr Lucky Oghaifu.
Among the evidence tendered to include statements of the defendants, drug analysis form, certificate of test analysis, request for scientific aid form, packaging of substance form among others.
He urged the court to be guided by the provisions of Section 356(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and convict the defendants based on their pleas as well as the evidence adduced by the prosecution.
In response, defence counsel, Chief Lilian Omotunde, urged the court to consider other options besides sentencing the defendants, on the grounds that the defendants were still at their prime and could still be useful to society.
In its judgement, the court noted that the volume of drug substances was minimal, and held that it would rather convict the defendants and caution them, rather than sentence them.
Consequently, the court convicted the defendants and cautioned them to “go and sin no more”
According to the charge, the defendants were said to have committed the offence on January 12.
The prosecutor said that they were arrested around the Lekki area of Lagos for unlawfully dealing in 15 g of Cannabis and 14 g of tramadol.
He submitted that the offences contravene the provision of Section 11(c) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation 2004.
Earlier, during interrogations by the court, the defendants told the court that they had never tasted drugs.
They had told the court that the substances were used as props for their comedy skit which they were in the process of shooting, before their arrest.