South African Woman Sentenced To 25 Years For Bringing 5.75kg Heroin Into Nigeria

By Sabiu Abdullahi

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 imposed the sentence on Thursday after Ann pleaded guilty to the drug trafficking charges filed against her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The convict was first brought before the court in August after the anti-narcotics agency accused her of importing the prohibited substance into the country.

According to the NDLEA, Ann was arrested in July during the inward clearance of passengers aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1433 from Doha at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The agency said Ann had travelled with her three-year-old son and initially denied having check-in luggage.

However, the NDLEA said she later admitted ownership of two bags after its officers discovered that the tags on them corresponded with the claim tags attached to her passport.

The agency further disclosed that Ann’s husband was arrested in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2026, over an alleged attempt to traffic 3.2 kilogrammes of illicit drugs to Hong Kong.

Court Considers Value Of Seized Heroin

After Ann entered her guilty plea, the prosecution asked the court to consider the quantity and estimated value of the heroin when determining the appropriate punishment.

The prosecution told the court that one kilogramme of the drug was worth approximately N18 million.

Ann appealed to the court for mercy. She said she was remorseful and promised not to commit a similar offence again.

She also claimed that she was unaware that the bags contained illicit drugs.

In his judgment, Justice Egwuatu noted that Ann had admitted the offence in an extrajudicial statement before entering her guilty plea in court.

The judge held that the law provides that a conviction follows a guilty plea and subsequently found Ann guilty.

While handing down the sentence, Egwuatu said “crime does not pay” and that the law does not recognise “emotions”.

The judge sentenced Ann to 15 years in prison on the first count and 25 years on the second count.

He ordered that both terms should run concurrently, meaning Ann will serve a total of 25 years behind bars.

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