A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, discharged and acquitted Lagos socialite and nightclub owner Mike Nwalie, popularly known as Pretty Mike, alongside his club supervisor, Joachim Hillary, of all drug-related charges filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The ruling followed criminal proceedings arising from a midnight raid on October 26, 2025, when NDLEA operatives stormed Proxy Nightclub on Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, arresting the socialite and more than 100 patrons over allegations of a drug-fuelled party.
Both defendants were later arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful possession of controlled substances, and knowingly permitting the use of nightclub premises for alleged illicit drug activities.
During the trial, the NDLEA told the court it recovered 169 cylinders of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, weighing about 384.662 kilograms, as well as 200 grams of cannabis sativa from the premises.
The agency argued that the substances were intended for use at an illegal gathering and insisted the defendants had knowledge of, or control over, the items recovered. It also sought the forfeiture of the nightclub, describing it as an instrument of crime.
READ ALSO:Â NDLEA Raids Lagos Nightclub, Arrests Pretty Mike, Ex-BBN Housemate Tuoyo, Over 100 Others
However, defense counsel Chikaosolu Ojukwu, SAN, urged the court to dismiss the charges, arguing that the prosecution failed to present credible evidence linking the defendants directly to possession, knowledge, or control of the substances.
He maintained that the case rested on suspicion rather than proof beyond reasonable doubt.
Delivering ruling, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa upheld the no-case submission filed by the defence, holding that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendants to warrant them opening their defence.
The judge ruled that the evidence presented, at its highest, amounted only to suspicion, which could not sustain a criminal conviction.
He added that calling on the defendants to enter their defence would amount to speculation rather than judicial reasoning.
On that basis, the court discharged and acquitted both Mike Nwalie and Joachim Hillary of all charges, bringing the prosecution to an end at the preliminary stage.