A Federal High Court headed by Justice Daniel Osiagor situated in Lagos, has on Monday censured popular Nigerian skit maker, Joshua Sunday, known by many as De General, of drug trafficking.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has charged De General with Caleb William, a cinematographer court.
In his judgment, Justice Osiagor declared that the quantity of substance was minimal and would rather convict De General and Caleb who are defendants than sentence them.
De General and his cinematographer who pleaded being guilty were earlier arrested on a three count charge of trafficking Tramadol and Cannabis Sativa.
The court accordingly, censured the defendants and warned them both to “go and sin no more”.
The prosecutor counsel, Jeremiah Aernan, presented evidence before the court of law, through an NDLEA exhibit keeper, Lucky Oghaifu, while reviewing the facts of the case.
Among the evidence presented, it include statements of the defendants, drug analysis form, certificate of test analysis, request for scientific aid form, packaging of substance form among others.
Jeremiah Aernan advised the court of law to be directed by the provisions available in Section 356(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and convict the defendants based on their pleas as well as evidence adduced by the prosecution.
Both De General and William Caleb had committed the offence on January 12, 2022.
The prosecutor said the skit maker was apprehended along Lekki Lagos for illegal dealing in 15 g of Cannabis and 14 g of tramadol.
The prosecutor counsel said, “the offence contravenes the provision of Section 11(c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation, 2004.”
In response, the Defence Counsel, Lilian Omotunde, exhorted the court to consider other options besides sentencing the defendants, on the surface that the defendants were still at their prime and could still be useful to society.
By Damilola Olufemi
