Court clears Pretty Mike of drug charges over lack of evidence

A Federal High Court in Ikoyi has discharged Lagos nightlife promoter Pretty Mike and club supervisor Joachim Hillary, ruling that prosecutors failed to establish a case against them.

Justice Ambrose Lewis-Alagoa upheld a no-case submission filed by the defence, bringing the drug-related trial to an end at the preliminary stage.

The duo had been arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on charges including conspiracy, unlawful possession of illicit substances, and permitting drug activities at Proxy Lagos nightclub in Victoria Island.

According to the agency, a raid carried out on October 26 uncovered 169 cylinders of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, weighing over 384 kilograms, alongside 200 grams of cannabis.

Judge rules prosecution failed to link suspects to alleged drugs

During proceedings, defence counsel Chikaosolu Ojukwu argued that the prosecution failed to present credible or admissible evidence tying the defendants to the substances recovered.

He maintained that the case relied on weak and inconsistent claims, adding that suspicion without clear proof could not sustain criminal charges.

The court agreed, holding that the NDLEA did not meet the legal threshold for establishing a prima facie case.

Justice Alagoa consequently discharged both defendants without calling on them to open their defence, effectively ending the prosecution.

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