Court Finds Instagram Comedian, Degeneral Guilty Of Drug Trafficking

Degeneral

Instagram comedian, Joshua Sunday aka Degeneral and one Caleb William, a cinematographer have been found guilty of drug trafficking.

They were found guilty by Justice Daniel Osiagor of a Federal High Court in Lagos, but were asked to go and sin no more.

Recall that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had dragged Degeneral and William to court.

Justice Osiagor while passing his ruling stated that the volume of the substance found on them is minimal and he would rather convict the defendants and caution them, rather than sentence them.

He convicted the defendants and cautioned them to “go and sin no more”.

The comedian and the cinematographer were charged with three counts of trafficking Tramadol and Cannabis Sativa.

Degeneral and William pleaded guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor, Jeremiah Aernan, after their plea reviewed the facts of the case and tendered evidence before the court, through an NDLEA exhibit keeper, 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.

The defendants, according to the charge were said to have committed the offence on Jan. 12.

The prosecutor said that they were arrested around the Lekki area of Lagos for unlawfully dealing in 15g of Cannabis and 14g of tramadol.

He said that the offence contravenes the provision of Section 11(c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

The Defence Counsel, Lilian Omotunde, urged the court to consider other options besides sentencing the defendants because the defendants were still at their prime and could still be useful to society.