A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday discharged popular socialite and nightclub owner, Mike Nwalie, widely known as Pretty Mike, alongside a club supervisor, Joachim Hillary, after upholding their no-case submission in a drug-related trial.

The court, presided over by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Alagoa, arrived at the decision while delivering a ruling on the charge filed against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The judge held that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendants, thereby eliminating the need for them to enter a defence.

The NDLEA had accused the duo of conspiracy, unlawful possession of prohibited substances, and permitting the use of a nightclub for illicit drug activities.

Pretty Mike, owner of Proxy Lagos nightclub located in Victoria Island, and Hillary were arraigned following an NDLEA operation carried out on October 26.

During the raid, the agency claimed it recovered 169 cylinders of nitrous oxide, commonly referred to as laughing gas, with a total weight of 384.662 kilograms, as well as 200 grams of cannabis.

According to the prosecution, the substances were allegedly intended for use at a drug-themed party, and the nightclub premises were described as an instrumentality of crime, with a request for forfeiture also filed.

However, at the close of the prosecution’s case, defence counsel, Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the charges, arguing that the evidence presented was weak, inconsistent, and failed to implicate the defendants directly.

He maintained that the prosecution did not establish any credible link between the accused persons and the alleged substances, stressing that suspicion alone could not sustain a criminal charge under the law.

The defence further argued that there was no proof of ownership, control, or knowledge of the substances attributed to the defendants, thereby falling short of the legal requirements needed to establish criminal liability.

In his decision, Justice Lewis-Alagoa agreed with the defence, ruling that the prosecution’s evidence lacked the substance required to sustain the charges.

The judge noted that the case amounted to mere suspicion without any compelling or cogent proof linking the defendants to the alleged offences.

Consequently, the court upheld the no-case submission and discharged both defendants without calling on them to open their defence. (TRIBUNE)