A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman, Will Jessica Ann, to a total of 40 years imprisonment for her role in the importation and conspiracy to import 5.75kg of heroin into Nigeria.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said the convict was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after 14 large blocks of heroin were allegedly discovered concealed in her luggage.
According to the agency, the woman had travelled with her three-year-old son, whom investigators said was used as a cover to evade security checks.
The NDLEA further alleged that Ann was part of a transnational drug trafficking network operated along the Cambodia-South Africa route with her husband or partner, who was based in Cambodia.
The agency said her husband was also arrested in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2026, while allegedly attempting to traffic 3.2kg of illicit drugs to Hong Kong.
Ann was arraigned before Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on a two-count charge of importing 5.75kg of heroin and conspiracy to import the same quantity into Nigeria.
She pleaded guilty to both counts.
Justice Egwuatu subsequently sentenced her to 15 years imprisonment on the first count and 25 years on the second count, amounting to 40 years in total.
The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently.
The conviction adds to the NDLEA’s ongoing enforcement efforts against international drug trafficking networks using Nigeria as a transit or destination point.
