Abuja court jails South African woman 25 years for heroin importation

By Anuoluwa Amao

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman, Will Ann, to 25 years in prison for importing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu handed down the sentence on Thursday after Ann pleaded guilty to unlawfully importing the controlled substance through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The case followed her arrest by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during inward passenger clearance at the airport in July.

Ann had arrived in Nigeria from Doha aboard Qatar Airways Flight QR1433 when NDLEA officials allegedly discovered the heroin in her possession. She was reportedly travelling with her three-year-old son at the time of her arrest.

She was subsequently arraigned before the court in August and pleaded guilty to the offence committed on July 6.

During the proceedings, the judge noted that her guilty plea was consistent with an earlier statement she made to investigators.

Following her conviction, the prosecution urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence, drawing attention to the quantity of heroin seized and its estimated street value.

The prosecution reportedly told the court that one kilogramme of heroin was valued at approximately N18 million, putting the estimated value of the seized consignment at more than N100 million.

In her plea for leniency, Ann expressed remorse and claimed that she was unaware that the illicit substance had been concealed in her luggage.

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She also promised the court that she would not engage in such an offence again.

Justice Egwuatu, however, stressed the seriousness of drug trafficking and said emotional appeals could not override the law.

The court sentenced Ann to 15 years’ imprisonment on the first count and 25 years on the second count.

The judge ordered that the sentences run concurrently, meaning Ann will serve an effective prison term of 25 years rather than 40 years.

The court also ordered the destruction of the seized heroin if the convict does not appeal the judgment within the period allowed by law.

The conviction adds to a series of prosecutions by Nigerian authorities against individuals accused of attempting to use the country as a transit or destination point for large consignments of illicit drugs.