A Federal High Court in Ikoyi has freed nightclub owner Pretty Mike and club supervisor Joachim Hillary after finding no sufficient evidence to continue the case against them.
Justice Ambrose Alagoa ruled in favour of a no-case submission, holding that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency failed to establish a prima facie case.
The pair had been accused of conspiracy, illegal possession of drugs, and allowing drug-related activities at Proxy Lagos nightclub in Victoria Island.
The NDLEA had alleged that during a raid on October 26, its operatives recovered 169 cylinders of nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, weighing over 384 kilograms, along with 200 grams of cannabis. The agency also claimed the substances were meant for a drug party and sought forfeiture of the club.
However, defence lawyer Chikaosolu Ojukwu argued that the prosecution failed to present convincing or admissible evidence linking the defendants to the alleged offences, describing the case as weak and based on suspicion.
In his decision, Justice Alagoa agreed that the evidence fell short of the legal requirement needed to proceed, and he subsequently discharged both men without calling on them to defend themselves.
