Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced 38-year-old South African woman Will Ann to 25 years in prison for importing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria through Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

The South African woman heroin sentence followed Ann’s guilty plea to charges brought by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over the importation of the narcotic on 6 July 2026.

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Ann was arrested during the inward clearance of passengers aboard Qatar Airways Flight QR1433 from Doha. She was travelling with her three-year-old son at the time of her arrest.

According to the NDLEA, operatives found 14 large blocks of heroin weighing 5.75kg in two suitcases.

The agency said Ann initially denied travelling with checked luggage before officers established that the baggage tags matched those attached to her passport.

The NDLEA subsequently arraigned Ann before the Federal High Court in August. She pleaded guilty to the charges.

The prosecution told the court that the quantity of heroin involved was substantial and urged Justice Egwuatu to consider the estimated value of the drug when determining the sentence.

Ann appealed for leniency, expressing remorse and promising not to engage in similar conduct again. She also told the court that she did not know there were illicit drugs in the luggage.

Justice Egwuatu, however, said a guilty plea attracts conviction where the elements of the offence have been established. The judge stressed that the law could not be set aside on the basis of emotion.

The court consequently convicted Ann and imposed a 15-year term on the first count and 25 years on the second count.

Justice Egwuatu ordered that both terms run concurrently. Ann will therefore serve an effective sentence of 25 years rather than 40 years.

The judge also ordered that the seized heroin be destroyed if Ann does not appeal within the period permitted by law.

The case began with Ann’s arrest at Abuja airport in July, when the NDLEA said its officers intercepted the consignment during routine passenger clearance.

The agency later said preliminary intelligence linked Ann to a wider transnational trafficking network operating along the Cambodia-South Africa route.

The NDLEA had also identified South African man Jan Coenraad De Jager as an alleged accomplice in the case and said he was at large when Ann was arraigned.

Ann’s conviction relates to the charges brought against her and does not, by itself, establish criminal liability against any other person.

The case highlights the continued role of Nigerian airports as key points in the NDLEA’s efforts to intercept international drug consignments.

The agency’s July operation was part of a wider series of seizures announced at the time, including separate arrests and drug recoveries at Lagos airport and the Apapa seaport.

For Ann, the court proceedings have now moved from an initial arrest and investigation to a formal conviction and substantial custodial sentence.

The Federal High Court’s decision also reinforces the consequences of importing controlled narcotics into Nigeria, where the courts are required to apply the relevant provisions of the country’s drug laws.

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With the 25-year sentence ordered to run concurrently, the immediate legal position is clear: Ann has been convicted and sentenced to an effective 25 years in prison, subject to any appeal she may pursue within the prescribed period.