A Federal High Court in Ikoyi has cleared nightclub owner Pretty Mike and club supervisor Joachim Hillary of d.rug-related charges after ruling that there was no sufficient evidence against them
Justice Ambrose Alagoa upheld a no-case submission filed by the defence, stating that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency failed to establish a prima facie case.
The two had been facing allegations of conspiracy, unlawful possession of d.rugs, and permitting illegal drug activities at Pretty Mike’s Proxy Lagos nightclub in Victoria Island.
According to the NDLEA, operatives who raided the club on October 26 claimed to have recovered 169 cylinders of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, weighing over 384 kilograms, alongside 200 grams of cannabis. The agency also alleged the substances were meant for a d.rug party and sought to seize the nightclub as a tool used in committing a crime.
However, defence counsel Chikaosolu Ojukwu argued that the prosecution failed to provide solid or admissible evidence directly linking his clients to the alleged offences. He maintained that the claims were weak, inconsistent, and based largely on suspicion rather than proof.
The defence further pointed out that there was no clear evidence showing ownership, control, or awareness of the substances by the accused, which is essential in establishing criminal liability.
Delivering his ruling, Justice Alagoa agreed with the arguments of the defence, noting that the prosecution did not meet the legal threshold required to continue the trial. He consequently discharged both defendants without requiring them to open their defence.
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