Wale Igbintade

The Federal High Court in Lagos has granted an order of interim forfeiture on a property located at No. 7 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, allegedly used for the storage and distribution of illicit drugs.

Justice Musa Kakaki granted the order following an ex parte application filed and argued by counsel to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. Buhari Abdulahi.

The property, known as Proxy Lagos Night Club, was said to have been used as an instrumentality of drug dealing and abuse by its owners, Mike Nwalie and Joachim Hillary.

According to the NDLEA, the premises were used to store 169 cylinders (384.662 kilograms) of Nitrous Oxide (commonly known as Laughing Gas) and 200 grams of Cannabis Sativa, both classified as controlled substances under Nigerian law.

In the motion dated October 27, 2025, the agency sought an interim forfeiture of the property to the Federal Government and an order suspending all business operations at the night club pending the conclusion of investigation.

Arguing the motion, Mr. Abdulahi told the court that the night club had been used for the storage, concealment, and sale of drugs, adding that the substances were kept in preparation for an illegal drug party scheduled to take place at the venue.

He submitted that, under existing drug control laws, any property used as an instrumentality of drug crime is subject to forfeiture, and that the order was necessary to place the property under NDLEA’s custody while investigations continue.

In an affidavit filed in support of the application, Deputy Commander of Narcotics, Nasiru Garba Bungudu, stated that the agency received credible intelligence in October 2025 about preparations for a large-scale drug party at Proxy Lagos Night Club.

According to the affidavit, NDLEA operatives, after days of surveillance, confirmed that the event was scheduled for October 26, 2025.

Acting on the intelligence, a team from the Lagos Strategic Command carried out a midnight raid on the club, recovering 169 cylinders of Nitrous Oxide and 200 grams of Cannabis Sativa from the premises.

The deponent added that over 200 persons, including the two respondents, were arrested at the scene.

The first respondent, Nwalie, was identified as the owner of the club, while Hillary was said to be a staff member and dealer in the illicit substances.

The NDLEA further alleged that laboratory analysis confirmed the seized items to be controlled drugs and that the second respondent had long been involved in the sale and distribution of such substances within the club, with the knowledge and consent of the owner.

Abdulahi urged the court to grant the motion, arguing that no party would be prejudiced by the interim order and that it was necessary to preserve the property pending the outcome of investigations.

After reviewing the application and the accompanying evidence, Justice Kakaki granted the interim forfeiture order as requested by the NDLEA.

The court subsequently adjourned the matter to January 28, 2026, for further proceedings.

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