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 after Ann was convicted on charges bordering on conspiracy and unlawful importation of the illicit drug.
The court imposed a 15-year jail term on the first count and 25 years on the second count, with both sentences to run concurrently. She will therefore spend 25 years in custody.
Ann was prosecuted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which arraigned her in August following her arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
According to the prosecution, the accused was arrested on July 6 during the inward clearance of passengers arriving on Qatar Airways Flight QR1433 from Doha.
She was found to be carrying the 5.75kg consignment of heroin while travelling into Nigeria with her three-year-old son.
Ann subsequently pleaded guilty to the charges of conspiracy and unlawful importation, paving the way for the court’s determination of the case.
The conviction adds to the enforcement actions against international drug trafficking through Nigeria’s airports, with the NDLEA prosecuting cases involving passengers allegedly bringing prohibited substances into the country.
