Court clears Pretty Mike, says NDLEA failed to prove drug charge

A federal high court sitting in Ikoyi, on Wednesday, discharged nightclub owner, Pretty Mike, and supervisor, Joachim Hillary, ruling that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, failed to prove its case against them.

The judge, Ambrose Lewis-Alagoa, upheld the defendants’ no-case submission, terminating the drug-related prosecution at the preliminary stage.

Recall that Pretty Mike and Joachim Hillary were charged with conspiracy, unlawful possession of hard drugs, and permitting illicit drug activities at his Proxy Lagos nightclub in Victoria Island.

According to the NDLEA, during an October 26 raid, officers recovered 169 cylinders of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) weighing 384.662 kilograms, plus 200 grams of cannabis sativa.

The agency said the recovered substances were for an illegal drug party. They also wanted forfeiture of the club as an “instrumentality of crime”.

However, defence counsel, Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), filed a no-case submission. He argued that prosecutors presented no credible or admissible evidence directly linking his clients to the alleged offences.

He further argued that the prosecution failed to establish ownership, control, or knowledge of the alleged substances by the defendants.

Ruling, Alagoa agreed with the defence. He held that the prosecution’s evidence did not meet the minimum standard required to sustain the charges.

The judge upheld the no-case submission and discharged both Pretty Mike and Hillary. He did not call on them to enter their defence.

Vanguard News

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