A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced 38-year-old South African national Will Jessica Ann to 40 years in prison for importing 5.75 kilograms of heroin into Nigeria.
Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu sentenced Ann to 15 years on the importation charge and 25 years on a conspiracy charge. The sentences will run concurrently, meaning she will serve 25 years.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said its operatives arrested Ann at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on July 6, 2026, after finding 14 blocks of heroin weighing 5.75 kilograms in two bags.
According to the NDLEA, Ann initially denied travelling with checked luggage but later admitted ownership after officers matched the baggage tags with the claim tags attached to her passport.
She told investigators she had travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja.
Ann pleaded guilty to the two-count charge before the Federal High Court.
The NDLEA said intelligence gathered after her arrest linked her to a transnational drug trafficking network allegedly operating between Cambodia and South Africa.
The agency also said her husband or partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager, was arrested in Johannesburg on July 27 while allegedly attempting to traffic 3.2 kilograms of illicit drugs to Hong Kong.
Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa described the conviction as a strong demonstration of judicial support for the agency’s efforts against drug trafficking.
Marwa said the case shows that Nigeria will not be used as a transit or destination point by international drug trafficking networks.
“The arrest and conviction demonstrate the strength of intelligence-led operations and international collaboration,” Marwa said.
He added that the NDLEA would continue to strengthen airport interdiction, intelligence gathering and international cooperation to disrupt transnational drug trafficking networks.
Comments
Add a comment