A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has cleared socialite and nightclub owner, Mike Nwalie, also known as Pretty Mike, of drug-related charges after ruling that there was no case for him to answer.
The decision was delivered on Wednesday by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Alagoa, who also freed the club’s supervisor, Joachim Hillary. The judge held that the case brought by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency did not provide enough proof to link the two men to the alleged offences.
The agency had taken the pair to court on a three-count charge, accusing them of working together to commit a crime, keeping banned substances, and allowing illegal drug use within the nightclub.
The case followed a raid carried out by NDLEA officials on October 26 at the nightclub located in Victoria Island, Lagos. During the operation, officers said they found 169 cylinders of nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, with a total weight of over 384 kilograms, as well as 200 grams of cannabis.
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According to the prosecution, the items were meant for use at a drug party, and efforts were made to tie both men to the storage and use of the substances. The agency also asked the court to take over the nightclub as part of the case.
After the prosecution closed its case, the defence lawyer, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, filed a no-case submission. He argued that the evidence presented in court did not directly connect his clients to the drugs and that suspicion alone could not be used to secure a conviction.
He also stated that there was no proof showing that the defendants owned, controlled, or were aware of the substances found.
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In his ruling, Justice Lewis-Alagoa agreed with the defence, stating that the prosecution did not present strong enough evidence to support the charges. He said the claims made against the defendants were based on suspicion and did not meet the legal standard required to continue the trial.
The court then upheld the no-case submission and discharged both men, bringing the matter to an end without requiring them to open a defence.
