A Federal High Court in Ikoyi has discharged nightclub owner Pretty Mike and club supervisor Joachim Hillary after ruling that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency failed to establish a prima facie case against them.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Alagoa upheld the defendants’ no-case submission on Wednesday, bringing the drug-related prosecution to an early end.
The duo had been charged with conspiracy, unlawful possession of hard drugs, and permitting illicit drug activities at Proxy Lagos nightclub in Victoria Island.
The NDLEA alleged that during an October 26 raid, officers recovered 169 cylinders of nitrous oxide weighing 384.662 kilograms, along with 200 grams of cannabis sativa, which it claimed were intended for an illegal drug party.
The agency also sought forfeiture of the nightclub, describing it as an instrumentality of crime.
Defence counsel Chikaosolu Ojukwu argued that the prosecution failed to present credible or admissible evidence directly linking his clients to the alleged offences.
He maintained that the evidence was weak, inconsistent, and insufficient to require the defendants to open their defence, noting that suspicion alone could not sustain criminal charges.
The defence further argued that ownership, control, or knowledge of the substances was not established.
In his ruling, the judge agreed that the prosecution failed to meet the required legal threshold and discharged both defendants without calling on them to enter a defence.
