LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has dealt a decisive setback to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), clearing the way for the reopening of Proxy Night Club owned by Lagos socialite Mike Nwogu, popularly known as Pretty Mike.
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, Justice Lewis-Allagoa dismissed the NDLEA’s application seeking to halt the enforcement of an earlier court order that directed the unsealing of the Victoria Island nightclub. The judge refused the agency’s request for a stay of execution pending appeal, stressing that it failed to meet the legal threshold required to justify such relief.
According to the court, the NDLEA did not demonstrate the “special and exceptional circumstances” mandated by law to warrant stopping the execution of the December 5, 2025 judgment, which permitted the club to resume operations.
The legal battle followed a midnight raid carried out by NDLEA operatives on October 26, 2025, at Proxy Night Club, during which Pretty Mike and more than 100 patrons were arrested over alleged drug-related offences. Those arrested were later arraigned, pleaded not guilty and were granted bail on November 7, 2025.
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In further criticism of the agency’s legal strategy, Justice Lewis-Allagoa held that the NDLEA committed a “crucial lapse” by attempting to stay the December 5 ruling without first seeking to stay the November 28 decision upon which it was founded. The omission, he said, was fatal to the application.
The court also faulted the NDLEA for abuse of court process and forum shopping, noting that the prosecution had previously acknowledged such conduct in proceedings already on record. Justice Lewis-Allagoa added that none of the grounds raised in the agency’s notices of appeal was compelling enough to justify keeping the nightclub sealed.
He further noted that despite claiming its appeal was on a fast-track basis, the NDLEA showed little urgency in compiling necessary court records.
“In the final analysis, the application is brought in bad faith, lacks substance and is devoid of merit,” the judge ruled while dismissing the motion.
The NDLEA had earlier sought an interim forfeiture of Proxy Night Club, alleging it was being used for drug-related activities. That request was rejected, with the court citing the constitutional presumption of innocence and ordering the premises unsealed.
In a fresh twist, Justice Lewis-Allagoa also directed that contempt proceedings be served on the NDLEA Chairman Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), through substituted means for the alleged disobedience of court orders. The judge warned the agency’s leadership to fully comply with the directive allowing the club to reopen.
The case has been adjourned to February 9 and 10, 2026, for continuation of trial.
