Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested popular Lagos socialite, Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, better known as Pretty Mike, and former Big Brother Naija housemate Tuoyo Ideh, alongside more than 100 others during a midnight raid on Proxy Nightclub in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The operation, which took place in the early hours of Sunday, was said to have been based on credible intelligence. NDLEA officers reportedly stormed the club around 3:00 a.m. after surveillance operatives had monitored activities at the venue from about 11:00 p.m. on Saturday.
During the raid, the agency said it recovered cartons of banned substances, including Loud (a synthetic strain of cannabis) and nitrous oxide (commonly known as laughing gas), found on some of the clubbers and in the club’s storage area.
All those apprehended, including the club owner, were taken to the NDLEA headquarters in Ikoyi for screening and further investigation.
In a social media post after his release, Tuoyo lamented his experience, saying, “They made us sit down like criminals… over 150 people, and we didn’t commit any crime.”
Efforts to get comments from Pretty Mike or the club management were unsuccessful as of press time.
The NDLEA, in a statement confirming the raid, said the action was part of its ongoing nationwide crackdown on drug abuse and trafficking. The agency also announced other successful operations, including the interception of 70 parcels of cocaine concealed in cocoa butter containers bound for London through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
The agency reiterated its commitment to curbing drug use in nightlife and entertainment circles, warning that clubs and event venues found aiding the sale or use of narcotics would face prosecution and possible closure.
