Court jails South African for importing 5.75kg heroin into Nigeria

The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman to 25 years in prison for smuggling 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu passed the sentence, stressing that Nigerian law does not respect emotions.

In August, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arraigned Will Jessica Ann before the Federal High Court in Abuja, where she pleaded guilty to unlawfully importing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into the country on July 6.

The NDLEA, in a statement by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, explained the woman was arrested in July while travelling with her three-year-old son.

According to the NDLEA statement, the suspect, identified as Will Ann, was arrested on Monday, July 6, during the inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways Flight QR1433, arriving from Doha.

Passing sentence, Justice Egwuatu held that, prior to her guilty plea, the defendant had admitted to committing the offence in her extrajudicial statement.

He added that the law is settled that a conviction follows a plea of guilty.

The judge subsequently convicted her of the offence.

The prosecution urged the court to factor in the cost of 1kg of heroin, which is worth about N18 million, in sentencing her.

Ann promised never to engage in such an act again.

She also said she was remorseful and did not know there were illicit drugs in the bag.

After hearing from the parties and considering the defendant’s plea for leniency, the judge said “crime does not pay” and that the law is not influenced by “emotions.”

The judge consequently sentenced her to 15 years’ imprisonment on Count 1 and 25 years’ imprisonment on Count 2, adding that the sentences shall run concurrently, meaning she will serve 25 years in prison.

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