By George Omagbemi Sylvester
A 38-year-old South African woman, Will Jessica Ann, was on Thursday, September 17, 2026, sentenced by the Federal High Court in Abuja to a total of 40 years in prison for importing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria.
Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu handed down the sentence after Ann pleaded guilty to charges relating to the conspiracy to import and importation of the illicit drug.
The court sentenced her to 15 years on the first count and 25 years on the second count. However, the sentences are to run concurrently, meaning she will serve a maximum of 25 years, rather than 40 years consecutively.
Ann was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on July 6, 2026, following the discovery of 14 large blocks of heroin concealed in two pieces of luggage.
According to the NDLEA, she had travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja aboard Qatar Airways and was allegedly connected to an international drug trafficking network operating along the Cambodian-South African route.
The agency said the seized heroin weighed 5.75kg and was recovered during an inspection of her luggage.
The NDLEA also disclosed that Ann’s alleged partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager, was arrested in Johannesburg on July 27 while allegedly attempting to traffic 3.2kg of illicit drugs to Hong Kong.
NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa described the case as another demonstration of the agency’s efforts, alongside international partners, to disrupt transnational drug trafficking networks.
The conviction brings the case to a close at the trial court level, subject to any further legal process available to the convict.
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