Justice Ambrose Lewis-Alagoa of the Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed the charge of illegal possession of hard drugs filed against socialite Mike Nwalie, popularly known as Pretty Mike, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The court discharged Nwalie, the owner of Proxy Lagos Nightclub in Victoria Island, Lagos, along with the club’s supervisor, Joachim Hillary, while ruling on their no-case submission application.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa ruled that the evidence presented by the NDLEA was insufficient to compel the defendants to open their defence.
The court also held that the case was based only on suspicion and lacked convincing evidence linking the defendants to the alleged illegal drug activities.
The defendants were arraigned before the court on a three-count charge of conspiracy, illegal possession of hard drugs, and knowingly allowing the use of the club premises for illegal drug activities.
The anti-narcotic agency had claimed that the defendants allegedly committed the offences on or around October 26, 2025, at the popular nightclub located at No. 7 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The prosecutor, Buhari Abdullahi, told the court that the defendants conspired to organise a drug party at the club premises during which the anti-narcotic agents reportedly recovered a significant cache of illicit substances.
Abdullahi also claimed that the items allegedly recovered by the NDLEA included 200 grams of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic drug, and 177 cylinders of Nitrous Oxide, commonly known as laughing gas.
He stated that the cylinders of Nitrous Oxide, which are harmful and frequently abused, weighed a total of 364.662 kilograms.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
It also sought the forfeiture of the nightclub, labelling it as an instrument of crime.
However, after the prosecution closed its case, the defence counsel, Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), filed a no-case submission, arguing that the evidence was insufficient to connect the defendants to the offences.
Ojukwu argued that the evidence was weak, inconsistent, and legally insufficient to compel a defence.
He further argued that suspicion or circumstantial evidence alone cannot establish criminal liability.
The defence alleged that the prosecution failed to prove that the defendants owned or controlled, or had knowledge of, the drug, thereby failing to meet the legal requirements.
In his ruling, Justice Alagoa agreed with the defence, stating that the evidence did not meet the necessary standard to sustain the charges.
As a result, the judge upheld the no- case submission and discharged Pretty Mike and Hillary without requiring them to defend themselves.
We’ve got the edge. Get real-time reports, breaking scoops, and exclusive angles delivered straight to your phone. Don’t settle for stale news. Join LEADERSHIP NEWS on WhatsApp for 24/7 updates →
Join Our WhatsApp Channel






