A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced a 38-year-old South African, Will Jessica Ann, to 25 years in prison for importing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu handed down the sentence on Thursday after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency prosecuted Ann on a two-count charge of conspiracy and unlawful importation of the illicit drug.
The offences arose from her arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on July 6, 2026, following her arrival from Doha, Qatar, on a Qatar Airways flight.
Ann was arraigned by the NDLEA in August, where she pleaded guilty to the charges.
Delivering judgment, Justice Egwuatu noted that the defendant had also admitted her involvement in the offence in an extra-judicial statement made before entering her guilty plea.
The judge held that the law provides for conviction where a defendant freely pleads guilty to a criminal charge, and subsequently found Ann guilty of the offences.
During the sentencing proceedings, the prosecution asked the court to take into account the quantity and estimated value of the seized narcotic.
The prosecution told the court that one kilogramme of heroin was worth about N18m, putting the estimated street value of the seized 5.75kg at more than N100m.
Ann, who was allowed to plead for leniency before sentence was pronounced, expressed remorse and promised not to engage in drug trafficking again.
She also told the court that she was unaware that the bags contained illegal drugs.
Justice Egwuatu, however, stressed that the circumstances of the case could not override the provisions of the law, stating that “crime does not pay” and that the law was not governed by “emotions.”
The court sentenced her to 15 years’ imprisonment on the first count and 25 years on the second count.
The sentences are to run concurrently, meaning Ann will serve a maximum of 25 years in prison.
The judge further ordered that the seized heroin be destroyed if the convict fails to appeal the judgment within the period allowed by law.
Earlier, the NDLEA had disclosed details of Ann’s arrest in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, Ann was travelling with her three-year-old son when NDLEA operatives intercepted her during the inward clearance of passengers aboard Qatar Airways Flight QR1433 from Doha on July 6.
The agency said its operatives initially became suspicious after Ann denied having any checked-in luggage.
A subsequent check, however, established that two suitcases containing 14 large blocks of heroin had baggage tags corresponding with the claim tags attached to her passport.
The NDLEA said Ann subsequently admitted that the bags belonged to her, claiming that she had forgotten that she checked them in.
The agency quoted her as saying, “Though she initially denied travelling with check-in bags, after operatives were able to quickly establish that the two bags containing the drugs had tags which tallied with the claim tags attached to her passport, she recanted and admitted ownership of the bags, adding that she forgot she checked in the two bags.”
The NDLEA said its investigation also established that Ann had travelled from Cambodia through Doha before arriving in Abuja.
During her subsequent arraignment, she admitted conspiring with a South African man identified as Jan Coenraad De Jager in the drug trafficking operation.
The charges against her were brought under Section 14 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, which provides penalties for conspiracy and unlawful importation of controlled substances.
