BREAKING: South African Woman Sentenced to 25 Years in Nigeria for Importing 5.75kg of Heroin

 

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman, 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, September 17, 2026, following the woman’s guilty plea to charges relating to the importation of the illicit drug through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

According to reports, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested Ann on July 6, 2026, during the inward clearance of passengers arriving on Qatar Airways Flight QR1433 from Doha.

5.75kg of heroin found in two suitcases

The NDLEA said Ann was travelling with her three-year-old son when she arrived in Abuja.

According to the agency, she initially denied having checked-in luggage. However, operatives subsequently established that two suitcases containing 14 large blocks of heroin carried baggage tags matching the claim tags attached to her passport.

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The NDLEA said Ann later admitted ownership of the bags.

She was subsequently arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja in August, where she pleaded guilty to the charges.

Court sentences her to 25 years

During the sentencing proceedings, Ann pleaded for leniency and reportedly expressed remorse. She also told the court that she did not know there were illicit drugs in the bags.

Justice Egwuatu, however, convicted her after finding that her guilty plea followed an earlier admission contained in her extrajudicial statement.

The court sentenced her to 15 years imprisonment on Count 1 and 25 years on Count 2, with both sentences to run concurrently.

This means Ann will serve a maximum of 25 years in prison.

The judge also ordered that the seized heroin should be destroyed if the convict does not appeal within the period allowed by law.

NDLEA investigation

The case followed an NDLEA investigation into the movement of the heroin through Abuja airport.

The agency said Ann had travelled from Cambodia through Doha before arriving in Nigeria. During the court proceedings, she also admitted to conspiring with a South African man identified as Jan Coenraad De Jager.

The charges were brought under provisions of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Actrelating to conspiracy and unlawful importation of controlled substances.

The sentencing adds to a series of major drug-trafficking cases prosecuted by the NDLEA as Nigerian authorities continue efforts to intercept international narcotics shipments entering the country.

Source: Channels Television / NDLEA reports.