A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos has cleared popular nightlife figure Pretty Mike and club supervisor Joachim Hillary after ruling that the case brought against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) lacked solid evidence. Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa held that the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case, meaning there was not enough proof to even require the defendants to defend themselves. The judge made it clear that what was presented in court amounted to mere suspicion, which is not enough to secure a conviction under the law.
The case began when operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) raided Proxy Lagos nightclub in the early hours of October 26, 2025, after reportedly going undercover there the night before. During the raid, they claimed to have found 169 cylinders of nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, and a small amount of cannabis. The agency said the substances were meant for an illegal drug party and went on to arrest over 100 people, including nightlife figure Pretty Mike and former Big Brother Naija housemate Tuoyo Ideh. Authorities then charged the defendants with conspiracy, unlawful possession of drugs, and allowing illegal activities in the club, even asking the court to seize the property. A Federal High Court later ordered the temporary forfeiture of the nightclub, while Pretty Mike was granted bail on November 7, 2025. However, during the trial, defence lawyer Chikaosolu Ojukwu argued that there was no proof linking his clients to the drugs, insisting that they neither owned the substances nor knew about them or had control over them.
In the end, the court agreed with the defence, pointing out that there was no clear link between the accused and the alleged drugs. The judge stressed that in criminal law, suspicion is not enough, there must be strong and direct evidence. Because the NDLEA could not prove ownership, knowledge, or control, the case fell apart and both men were discharged without needing to say anything in their defence.
Although this ruling is a win for Pretty Mike, it is not the first time he has faced legal trouble or public scrutiny. Back in 2017, he was arrested by the Lagos State Police Command after a controversial stunt where he paraded women on leashes, which sparked outrage and led to his detention before he later apologized.
