A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted South African national Will Jessica Ann after she pleaded guilty to charges arising from the importation of 5.75kg of heroin into Nigeria.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted and sentenced 38-year-old South African national Will Jessica Ann over the importation of 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria.
Ann was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on July 6, 2026, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
According to the NDLEA, officers discovered 14 blocks of heroin weighing 5.75kg concealed in two pieces of checked luggage after the woman arrived on Qatar Airways Flight QR1433 from Doha.
The agency said Ann was travelling with her three-year-old son at the time of her arrest.
She was subsequently arraigned before Justice Obiora Egwuatu on a two-count charge involving conspiracy to import heroin and unlawful importation of the drug.
Ann pleaded guilty to the charges.
Reports of the sentence published on Thursday contain an important distinction concerning the total term.
ICIR, citing the NDLEA, reported that the court imposed 15 years on the first count and 25 years on the second, describing the combined terms as 40 years.
However, Channels Television and THISDAY reported that Justice Egwuatu ordered the two sentences to run concurrently, meaning the effective custodial term would be 25 years rather than 40 years.
Justice Egwuatu reportedly declined to impose the maximum available punishment after considering the circumstances presented by the defence.
The case originated from Ann’s arrest at Abuja airport, where the NDLEA alleged that the heroin had been concealed in her luggage.
Earlier reports said Ann initially denied travelling with checked luggage before officers established that the baggage tags matched those attached to her passport.
The case highlights the severe penalties available under Nigerian law for large-scale drug trafficking and the continued efforts by the NDLEA to intercept international trafficking routes through Nigerian airports.