South African Woman Sentenced to 40 Years in Nigeria for Importing 5.75kg Heroin

 South African Woman Sentenced to 40 Years in Nigeria for Importing 5.75kg Heroin

A 38-year-old South African woman, Will Jessica Ann, has been sentenced to a total of 40 years in prison by the Federal High Court in Abuja for importing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said Ann was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, after operatives discovered 14 large blocks of heroin concealed in her luggage.

The convict was arrested on July 6, 2026, during the inward clearance of passengers arriving on Qatar Airways flight QR 1433 from Doha to Abuja.

According to the NDLEA, Ann initially denied travelling with checked-in luggage. However, operatives established that two bags containing the illicit drugs bore tags corresponding with the claim tags attached to her passport.

She subsequently admitted ownership of the bags, claiming that she had forgotten that she checked them in.

The agency said Ann told investigators that she had travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja.

Further intelligence, according to the NDLEA, indicated that she was allegedly a member of a transnational drug trafficking organisation operating along the Cambodia-South Africa axis with her husband or partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager.

The NDLEA said De Jager was subsequently 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 bordering on conspiracy to import 5.75kg of heroin and the importation of the same quantity.

She pleaded guilty to the charges in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/422/2026.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, September 17, 2026, Justice Egwuatu convicted and sentenced her to 15 years' imprisonment on the first count and 25 years on the second count.

The NDLEA clarified that although the sentences amount to 40 years, they will run concurrently.

Reacting to the judgment, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the conviction as a demonstration of the Nigerian judiciary's support for the agency's efforts to combat drug trafficking.

Marwa said the judgment should serve as a deterrent to international drug trafficking organisations seeking to use Nigeria as a transit or destination point for hard drugs.

He said the case reinforced the NDLEA's position that Nigeria would not become a "soft landing" for international drug cartels.

According to him, the subsequent arrest of Ann's alleged partner in South Africa while attempting another trafficking operation to Hong Kong demonstrated the value of intelligence sharing and international cooperation.

Marwa also commended the swift conclusion of the case, noting that the progression from arrest to conviction reflected the effectiveness of the NDLEA's operations and its collaboration with the Federal High Court.

He warned that the agency would continue to strengthen airport interdiction, intelligence-led operations and international collaboration aimed at dismantling transnational drug trafficking networks using Nigeria as a corridor.

"Anyone, regardless of nationality, caught trafficking illicit drugs through Nigerian territory will face the full weight of the law," Marwa said.

The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, issued the statement on Thursday, September 17, 2026.