Operation uncovers cartons of 'Loud' and laughing gas; agency extends crackdown nationwide with arrests from Lagos to Zamfara.
By Naija247news - Lagos, Nigeria | October 26, 2025
In a dramatic midnight operation that sent shockwaves through Lagos' social scene, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) stormed Proxy Nightclub on Victoria Island and arrested over 100 partygoers, including the club's owner, flamboyant socialite Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, better known as Pretty Mike, and former Big Brother Naija housemate Tuoyo Ideh.
The agency, in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said officers recovered cartons of banned substances -- including high-grade cannabis known as "Loud" and cylinders of nitrous oxide (popularly called laughing gas) -- during the raid conducted in the early hours of Sunday, October 26, 2025.
According to Babafemi, NDLEA operatives, acting on credible intelligence, infiltrated the club around 11 p.m. on Saturday before executing the full-scale raid at about 3 a.m.
"Over 100 suspects, including the owner of the club, Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, alias Pretty Mike, were arrested and taken into custody for screening," the statement read. "Cartons of illicit substances, including Loud and laughing gas, were recovered from suspects at the party and the club's store."
Former BBNaija housemate Tuoyo Ideh later confirmed his arrest on Instagram, lamenting the ordeal and claiming that he and other guests were treated "like criminals" despite not committing any offense.
"We over 150 people were carried to NDLEA headquarters in Ikoyi," Tuoyo wrote. "They made us sit down like criminals. They came in with guns and told everyone to lie down."
Efforts by Naija247news to reach Pretty Mike for comment were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
The Lagos nightclub raid formed part of a larger NDLEA operation spanning several states.
In a separate development, NDLEA officers intercepted 70 parcels of cocaine concealed inside cocoa butter body cream containers bound for London via Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The seizure, weighing 3.6 kilograms, led to the arrest of three suspects -- Lawal Mustapha Olakunle, a cargo agent; Ogunmuyide Taiwo Deborah, a healthcare worker; and Mutiu Adebayo Adebiyi, CEO of Mutiu Adebiyi & Co Travel Agency.
Similarly, NDLEA officers at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, foiled an attempt by a Lesotho national, Lemena Mark, to smuggle 103.59 grams of methamphetamine concealed in a herbal tea package bound for the Philippines.
Other major busts included:
* Kwara State: 21,950 capsules of tramadol hidden inside a 100-litre water heater.
* Taraba State: 450,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 seized from two suspects.
* Kogi and Nasarawa States: Nearly 300kg of cannabis recovered from separate operations.
* Lagos State: Arrest of a female distributor, Oyonumoh Glory Effiong, allegedly supplying Loud across Lekki, Ikoyi, and Ajah.
* Zamfara State: Interception of a 30-year-old suspect with an AK-47 rifle and 1,746 rounds of ammunition en route to a forest in Anka Local Government Area.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.) praised the coordinated efforts, urging officers to sustain their "balanced approach" combining tough enforcement with the ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign nationwide.
"The war against narcotics and psychotropic substances is not just about arrests; it's about securing the nation's moral and mental health," Marwa said.
Analysis: Lagos Nightlife Under Scrutiny
The raid on Proxy Nightclub highlights NDLEA's intensified focus on nightlife drug abuse, particularly the use of designer drugs, skuchies (a mix of cannabis, codeine, and blackcurrant), and laughing gas in high-profile social venues.
In recent months, the agency has stepped up surveillance of upscale hangouts in Lekki, Victoria Island, and Ikoyi -- a trend signaling that Nigeria's elite party circuit is no longer off-limits to law enforcement.
While NDLEA's actions have earned praise from anti-drug advocates, critics warn that the agency must balance enforcement with the protection of citizens' rights during mass raids.