A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday discharged popular socialite and nightclub owner, Mike Nwalie, popularly known as Pretty Mike, after upholding his no-case submission in a drug-related trial.

Justice Ambrose Lewis-Alagoa also discharged the club’s supervisor, Joachim Hillary, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendants.

The duo had been arraigned by the Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful possession of drugs, and permitting the use of club premises for illicit drug activities.

The charges followed an NDLEA raid on Pretty Mike’s nightclub in Victoria Island on October 26, where the agency claimed to have recovered 169 cylinders of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) weighing 384.662 kilograms, alongside 200 grams of cannabis sativa.

The prosecution alleged that the substances were intended for use at an illegal drug party and sought to link the defendants to their possession and storage, while also pushing for the forfeiture of the nightclub.

At the close of the prosecution’s case, defence counsel, Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), filed a no-case submission, arguing that the evidence presented was weak and failed to directly connect the defendants to the alleged offences.

He maintained that suspicion alone could not sustain a criminal charge, stressing that the prosecution did not establish ownership, control, or knowledge of the substances.

According to him, the legal requirement for a prima facie case had not been met, making it unnecessary for the defendants to open their defence.

In his ruling, Justice Lewis-Alagoa agreed with the defence, holding that the prosecution’s case lacked the cogent and compelling evidence required under the law.

The court ruled that the allegations, at best, amounted to mere suspicion and did not justify calling the defendants to enter a defence.

Following the ruling, the court upheld the no-case submission and discharged both Pretty Mike and Hillary, effectively bringing the criminal proceedings to an end at the preliminary stage.