A South African woman, Will Jessica Ann, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for importing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, handed down the sentence on Thursday after Ann pleaded guilty to the offence and the court considered evidence presented by the prosecution.
The 38-year-old was convicted on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and unlawful importation of the illicit drug. The offences are punishable under Section 14 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Ann was initially arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in August. She admitted unlawfully importing the heroin on July 6.
In delivering judgment, Justice Egwuatu noted that Ann had already admitted the offence in an extrajudicial statement before entering her guilty plea. The judge held that the law provides for conviction following a guilty plea.
The prosecution subsequently drew the court’s attention to the commercial value of the consignment, informing the judge that one kilogramme of heroin was worth approximately ₦18 million on the street.
Ann was given an opportunity to plead for leniency. She expressed remorse, promised not to repeat the offence and claimed she was unaware that illicit drugs had been concealed in the bags.
Justice Egwuatu, however, stressed that the seriousness of the offence could not be determined by emotion.
“Crime does not pay,” the judge declared, adding that Nigerian law does not bend to “emotions.”
He sentenced Ann to 15 years on the first count and 25 years on the second. The terms will run concurrently, meaning the convict will spend a maximum of 25 years behind bars rather than serving the sentences consecutively.
The case began on July 6 when Ann arrived in Abuja aboard Qatar Airways Flight QR1433 from Doha. She was travelling with her three-year-old son.
According to the NDLEA, its operatives intercepted her during inward clearance and discovered that two checked suitcases contained 14 large blocks of heroin.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that Ann initially denied travelling with checked luggage. Investigators later established that the baggage tags on the two suitcases corresponded with the claim tags attached to her passport.
She subsequently acknowledged ownership of the luggage, claiming that she had forgotten checking in the bags.
The NDLEA said Ann told investigators that she had travelled from Cambodia through Doha before arriving in Abuja.
During her arraignment, however, she admitted conspiring with a South African man, Jan Coenraad De Jager, in connection with the importation.
The court also ordered that the seized heroin be destroyed if Ann does not appeal within the period allowed by law.
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